


Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

by mjeann



Category: BioWare - Fandom, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 3 - Fandom
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Headcanon, Menae, Post-Breach, Post-Jaws of Hakkon, Pre-Trespasser
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:28:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 43,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6081165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjeann/pseuds/mjeann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After defeating Hakkon, Uriah Trevelyan is transported to the turian moon Menae at the same time as the Normandy.  Under the assumption that they are Alliance, they are sent with Shepard to stand trial, but Shepard realizes that the woman calling herself the Inquisitor is really not from their time, and she must go about getting her home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hakkon

I had been in the Basin for a few weeks now following up a lead about the old Inquisition and the Jaws of Hakkon. After I had discovered they were connected…. well there was a whole new challenge. We tracked them to the their temple, but failed to stop their ritual. Now, equipped with the tools of the old Inquisitor, I was racing to take down this dragon. 

I ran through the halls of this frozen hellhole, not caring anymore if I got cold. Bull, Sera, and Cassandra were on my heels. I saw the sunlight and put my fingers to my mouth and whistled. The palomino horse, Pharaoh, I called my steed waited for me outside the entrance and I mounted him swiftly, barely waiting for the others to climb on their mounts before bolting. 

The dragon was no longer in my sights, but I could see the path of its destruction. This Hakkon, the Avvaar god, or what have you, of war and winter had certainly made his presence known; wide swaths of thick ice coated large patches of the land. As I galloped past the docks, I saw that the couple who had lived there was gone, their home decimated. 

What terrified me the most was the sky. It was an eerie green, not unlike the areas here where the veil was thin. The clouds swirled with the color and cast an ominous glow on the frozen ground. 

We had almost reached a peninsula on the northern part of the coast when I saw the beast over head. 

“Oh, hell yes!” Bull shouted in glee. It was unsettling to me how excited he got at the prospect of taking on one of the beasts. I spurred Pharaoh on and rode to the area where the dragoon circled. 

My staff flared to life with fire magic and the energy from the dragon-slaying rune Dagna had put in place before the run ins with the dragons in the Emprise.

 

“It’s landing!” Cassandra yelled to me and I nodded in affirmation. The dragon was… waiting for us. It had landed on the peninsula and was brisling in anticipation. What chilled me to the core was the fact that it spoke. The dragon…. spoke. 

Its voice was low and gravelly as it boomed, “You’ve closed the breach Inquisitor Trevelyan. Now, you must deal with me.”

“Shut up, you big, stupid lizard!” I yelled back as I reached the peninsula. I leapt down from my mount and whipped my staff from its place on my back. The dragon poised itself with wings outstretched and roared with all of its might. But I roared back. 

I ordered Bull and Cass to charge at the dragon and for Sera to take up position on the dragon’s flank and pelt it with ranged attacks. I, myself rushed to Bull’s side and hacked at the beasts legs with my spirit blade and supplementing Bull and Cassandra’s powerful strikes with my own. 

I rolled about the dragon’s feet and burned into its flesh with the sword. With a cry, it rose into the air with a few powerful flaps of its wings and began to circle overhead. 

My eyes widened and I called for my companions to gather near me. Now, I suppose, was a good a time as any to try out the new trick I learned from the rift of the sacred island where the old Inquisitor’s lover’s spirit lingered. I held umps hand and allowed my power to pool in my palm. When enough had gathered, I released it in a wave of green light. The energy formed an impenetrable dome around the four of us in preparation for the icy projectiles the dragon spewed. Several times, before it landed, the overgrown reptile spit ice at them, but it was futile. 

The dome dissipated as it landed and once more we resumed our positions. 

“I am winter, I am war, I am chaos, I am death,” the dragon rumbled. I shook the noise out of my head without faltering.

“Then I am spring, I am peace, I am life,” I shouted with another slash of my glowing sword, “I am the end of chaos. At your end, I will be the promise of new life and possibilities. I will be your downfall, creature!” 

I fell back a few yards and summoned all of my remaining mana and concentrated it into a fiery explosion that shook the very earth we stood on. It roared and blazes around the dragon and I could just barely make out Bull watching from the other side of the inferno, having safely escaped at the same time I did. 

The heat poured over the ice and hit me like a wall, causing me to stumble backward. But, I stood again and called, “Where I stand, there shall be no war. I am the champion of the people! Tasked by the Maker himself to keep his people safe!”

Again, I shouted and used all of the renewed mana to call forth a torrent of lightning from the looming clouds. The dragon let loose a high pitched scream as the strong smell of ozone birthed a white-hot bolt of electricity that pierced it through. 

“You will fall!” Hakkon cried in fury. He raised his wide wings and beat them up and down. A whirlwind rose around his feet which beat down the flames and I quickly fade-stepped into the eye of the storm, knowing from prior experience what this action led to. I found my self accompanied by my companions in the center of the circle. Sera loosed arrow after flaming arrow at the beast’s maw and more than a few found purchase in its soft tissue inside its cave of a mouth. Its head lowered and I saw Sera take careful aim, and I tracked the arrow she loosed to its destination: the dragon’s eye. 

With a screech, Hakkon reared his head and rose onto his back legs. He had grown weak, and I knew it. This was my chance. I gathered all of my energy into my mark and let it open a massive rift near the dragon. I watch as it slowed, its spirit being sucked from its body. 

But then something changed. The essence leaching from the body was not green, but black and inky. It polluted the rift and I watched as it flickered. Its reach suddenly grew and I lost control of the opening. 

Sensing this, I pushed forward, even as I was drawn into the fade, and planned by sword into the heart of the dragon. The rest of its spirit separated from its body and it fell. But the rift did not close. All four of us were drawn to the center of the ring, despite our hardest efforts, and I felt myself lifting from the ground and sucked into the rift by some unknown force. 

‘No, no, no, no…. not again, not again,’ screamed to myself internally, and as I hit the ground, I watched as the rift slammed shut with a boom. The black essence of Hakkon dissipated and I looked around to see my companions strewn about me. 

Sera rose to her knees first, followed by myself, Bull, and Cassandra. With a snort of contempt, the qunari said in disgust, “You’ve got to be shitting me, boss. You pick the worst places to spend your down time.”


	2. Menae

“Well, at least its a new place, innit? Not better, though. If you ask me its worse,” Sera muttered. 

I allowed myself a moment to take in our surroundings. Something was different than last time I was in the fade, though. It was hard to describe. It lacked the same… spiritual oddity and mystery of the fade; this place was far too real. 

I looked to the sky and the sight chilled me: A massive moon or planet hung heavy in the sky, but what made me shutter was the burning orange mass on its surface. And while I was on that note, I took not of the wreckage surrounding us. Tested metal contraptions lay burning and the thin air reeked with the smell of burning flesh. 

“What are those? I have never seen so much metal in one place that was not armor or weapons!” Cassandra noted. I looked back at her and swallowed heavily. To be honest had no idea. 

Just then a massive metal object flew overhead, firing bolts of energy at another object beyond the horizon. I removed my Orlesian helmet from my head and the I saw the plumage was burned and wasted away. The once shiny metal fashioned in the image of some distant duke was tarnished and caked with blood. I looked around again and flinched, bodies burned beyond recognition were everywhere. Then, I thought of all the people that must be on that planet and was filled with rage. Someone was killing these people brutally. 

‘Not while I’m alive. How can something like this even happen?’ I thought. I didn’t even know where I was. Could something like this even exist in Thedas? I would have heard about it in some way, for certain. Replacing my helm, I began to walk ahead where I saw another flying object descend. 

We did not make it very far before a flaming ball fell from the sky. I stopped short but began running again soon after. I almost passed it without concern until I heard Cassandra let out a cry and I whipped around to see forms rising from the crater firing… what in the Maker’s name where those? by some unseen force, the mangled creatures caused explosions that ripped through my companions. In seconds, I had erected a barrier around us and the explosions bounced off. Bull and Cassandra could not do much here, but Sera and I unleashed our arsenal on them, steadily dropping them. 

When they were gone, I turned to examine the warriors of our party and saw a gaping hole had appeared in Cassandra’s   
shield arm. I knelt next to her and let healing magic knit together the torn flesh just enough to stop the bleeding. 

“What the fuck were those!” Bull said in alarm. 

“I have no idea, I’ve never seen anything like them,” I answered. They resembled the under with their rotten flesh, but in place of exposed bone, rods infused with what seemed to be lyrium served as their skeleton. Their eyes are what terrified me the most. they were pure lyrium, going with basic, malicious intelligence. Some were humanoid and charged directly at them, but the ones firing…. they were unlike anything I had ever seen. I was terrified. 

“Did you see where those flying things landed? I bet there’s a base there. Maybe we can—,” Bull started. 

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Sera’s voice quavered, “There are more than likely more of these bloody arseholes around there.” 

“Where else do you suggest, Sera?” Cassandra joined in, “It’s that or let those…. things destroy us!”

Everyone shouted at each other about the best course of action. Back and forth obscenities flew, and I was not having it anymore. 

“ENOUGH!”i shouted at them. They grew silent and looked at me in shock. “We’re going to that place. If there are more there, we take them out. Understood?” I ordered them up and we continued to run toward the base, more careful to keep to the shadows and skirting wide around where more meteors fell. 

 

After some time keeping up this pattern of evasion, I caught sight of a structure ahead. Not more than 500 yards. We broke into a sprint and then behind us more humanoid creatures rose from crevices in the earth and flopped toward us. I conjured my blade and allowed Cass and Sera to get ahead while Bull and I kept them back with wide swings of our blades. 

We were fifty yards from the base now and I saw figures begin to fire their explosives at us. I began to raise another barrier but then I noticed they were firing at the undead. Using this opportunity, I surged ahead and screamed; 

“OPEN THE GATES!!!!!” The guards did nothing though. They wore strange helms with dull metal spikes protruding from the back. Then I noticed their legs. their knees bent in the opposite direction and my jaw dropped. They weren’t ant race she recognized. Their collarbones were highly exaggerated, and I was beginning to think those weren't helms on their heads. Nonetheless, I screamed at them again to let us in:

“OPEN THE FUCKING GATES!!!!!!!!” Finally, they heard us. 

I turned around and fired bolt after bolt of fire from my staff at the approaching forces as the others ran through the gate. When they were finally through, I summoned lightning from the sky and it arced between each form. I had pushed them back enough to make my escape and I dove through the opening just before it closed. 

“Maker….” I panted. But then I heard a long series of clicks and pounding footsteps and looked up to see more of the… creatures pointing their strange weapons at me. 

“Freeze! Drop your weapons!” One of them yelled. Its mouth move strangely. The plates around its mouth moved like lips, but they were stiffer and with each flutter, I caught a glimpse of sharp teeth. 

I let my staff clatter to the ground and the others did the same with their weapons. One of them strode behind me and clapped my hands into cuffs before pushing me forward into line behind Sera, with Bull and Casandra close behind. They marched us to a structure made of… you guessed, metal. Where in all of Thedas were we that there was such plentiful resources?

An unseen force opened a panel on the side of the structure and we were forced inside. 

“Woah, woah, woah! What do you think you're doing! Do you know who I am?!” I yelled. 

One of them spoke, “No, but you're not even supposed to know about this moon, let alone be on it. The general will be in shortly.”

“Moon? What moon? Where are—,” the door slid shut behind it and I was clearly shut down. My hands were bound tightly behind me so I couldn’t even take off my helm. I sat heavily on the bench attached to the wall.

“What are they?” Sera said, uncharacteristically quiet. 

“I don’t know,” I said angrily, “I don’t even know where we are. What do they mean moon?”

“Uriah,” Cassandra looked pensively at the wall, “that rift… it wasn’t the same. Do you think….,”she shook her head. 

“What, Cass?” I inquired. 

“What if we’re not in Thedas anymore? What if—,” she was cut short by the door opening again. I stood abruptly and stared at the creature that strode through the door. He nodded at the guard behind him and turned his attention to me.

“Who are you?” he said in a strange dual-toned voice. 

“I’m not speaking with you until you unbind my hands,” I said, “and my friends’.”

It shook his head, “No, you could attack me.”

“With what? You took our weapons and you have yours.”

It remained impassive, “I said no, prisoner.”

“Fine. Then at least take off my helm, it’s hot in here,” I said. 

The creature walked toward me and lifted his hands (were they even hands? They only had three talon-things, not five fingers) and removed my helm. My hair spilled to my shoulders and i shook it out. 

“You’re human? Are you with the Alliance?” it asked me. 

“The Alliance? No,” I shook my head, “The Inquisition. We were tracking Avvaar forces in the Frostback Basin when a dragon   
appeared and I had to open a rift to take it down, but this dragon and a god’s soul and when it was sucked out, the rift turned back and next thing I know, we’re here. Speaking of which, where is here?”

The creature said nothing other than, “What are your names? And what race are you?” he directed the last question at Bull and Sera. 

“My name is Inquisitor Uriah Trevelyan, Herald of Andraste,” I answered, “These are—,”

“They will speak for themselves… Inquisitor,” the creature (I think it was a he?) interrupted. 

With a swallow, Sera said, “Sera you-don’t-need-to-know-my-last-name, elf.”

Plates where his eyebrows should have been rose, “Elf? You must be some primitive race from another colony…”

“ I beg your bloody pardon?” Sera bristled, “I’m not Dalish whosit whatsit shitting in the mud and living in tents!”

I looked at her pointedly and turned back to him, “Touchy subject. Best to not broach it.”

“Very well, you?” he addressed Bull. 

“I am The Iron Bull, Captain of Bull’s Chargers. I am Qunari.” Bull towered over the other man and in this tiny cell, he had to duck so his horns didn’t knock the walls. 

“Cassandra Pentghast,” the Seeker deadpanned. 

The man nodded and was silent for several moments, “Alright. Now, tell me how the hell you got to Menae?”

“Menae?” I asked, “Aren’t we in Thedas? I’ve never heard of that place…”

“You’re on Menae, a Turian military outpost on the moon of Palaven. This place is top secret, how the hell did you get here?!” he shouted. 

“I told you already! I opened a rift and I was sent through the fade to this place! And how the hell are we even on this moon?” I shouted back. 

“What year is it?” he asked. 

“What? What does that have to do with anythi—,”

“Just answer me! What year is it?”

“I— …9:28 Dragon,” I said hesitantly. 

“Spirits…,” he muttered, “Can you fight?”

I stared at him incredulously and narrowed my eyes, “Yes I can fight. I’m the Inquisitor, savior of Thedas, closer of the Rift, bane of Corypheus.” 

“Who? Oh, never mind,” he shook his head, “I can’t put you on the lines, you’re wearing leather armor! Do you even have shields or… barriers?” 

Cassandra threw her shield at his feet and i erected a mini barrier around us. 

“What the… is this some kind of sick joke? There’s a war on! I don’t have time for this! Who put you up to this? Was it Vakarian?”

“Listen to me, I think we’re in the wrong… dimension. This is the most advanced technology I’ve ever seen! And I have never fought any enemy of this kind. We have to get back!”

He shook his head, “If you're sick enough to pull this shit while people are dying, then I don't want you wishing 100 yards of a weapon. You can sit in here and rot for all i care. The Normandy can shuttle you out of here to stand with trial with the Alliance, but I’m done speaking with you.”

He turned to leave and I shouted after him, “Wait! No I need your—,” the door slammed shut in my face. 

“You know that’s getting pretty annoying,” Bull said. 

“No shit,” I turned and sat on the bench again, “We’ll just have to wait this out, I suppose.” And we waited and waited while explosions roared around them, completely helpless to aid in anyway or return to where they came from.


	3. Skyhold

“What do you mean she disappeared?” Cullen roared at the scout. 

“Sir, I— I am only reading the message,” she scout shuffled uncomfortably, “ Scout Harding herself saw it happen. The Inquisitor opened a rift and the magic turned sour and black. There was an explosion… and then… the Inquisitor and her whole party were gone.”

Cullen felt his headache returning. How could this have happened? No, no, no, no. Not now. They were finally happy. The breach was closed and there were no issues at the present that took her away from him for months at a time. And now…

“Have you informed Leliana and Josephine?” Cullen asked the scout, not caring for titles. 

“The Nightingale gave me the letter, and I am sure she sent another to inform Ambassador Montyliet,” he sputtered quickly, “She also asked me to inform you that there will be a council meeting shortly.” The scout stood at attention for a while, waiting to be dismissed. 

“Very well, dismissed,” Cullen said drearily. He collapsed onto his chair and opened his top desk drawer. He removed the false bottom and picked up the little velvet box he had asked his father for. He sighed and moved it to his lips and breathed in the musty smell. He had hoped that he could ask for Uriah’s hand. But now he might not get the chance. 

He put the box back and pushed himself away from the desk, opened the door, and strode through his door, across the catwalk, through Solas’ old rotunda and the main hall to the war room. The door swung open with a bang as he entered, and Josephine and Leliana looked up from the map. 

“Commander—,” Leliana began.

“How the hell did this happen? She’s opened rifts before, why was this different?” he growled. 

“We don't know. I’ve discussed the situation with Dorian and Vivienne and they are poring over all of the literature trying to find an answer. I am afraid that this was Solas’ area of expertise,” Josephine explained. 

The meeting was oddly quiet without Uriah’s cheesy jokes and giggles. The solemnity of it all weighed upon them and all they could do was review reports of the incident, trying to search for ways to get her back. After an eternity, the commander slammed down his reports and sagged his head. 

“I’m going,” he said bluntly. 

“What? Commander this is madness! We need you here! We need guard rotations and someone to organize the recruits!”

“Josie, you know as well as I that since the breach has closed, there are fewer and fewer signing on. I can trust the organization of those men and the guard rotations to my lieutenants,” he sighed heavily, “Please let me do this. I need to.”

“How long?” Leliana asked. 

“No more than a month. I need to go.”

“Commander I do not think—,” Josephine started. 

“No!” he yelled. Tears pooled in the corners of his eyes, “I need to do this. I need to find her. I was going to… Maker, if she never returns…”

The two women stared at the Commander in shock. He had never acted like this before. He was well an truly a mess. His jaw clenched, his eyes wild, and his hair coming out of its carefully gelled mould. 

“Very well. You will depart for the Frostback Basin tomorrow morning with a   
small party of four men. Josephine and I will manage our dealings here until the time you return,” Leliana recited. 

“Wha— Leliana! This is madness!” Josephine said irritatedly. 

“Josephine, the Commander is a seasoned warrior. He can manage anything that will be thrown his way. Besides, the Inquisitor cleared out any threats along his route long ago.”

With a heavy sigh, the meeting adjourned and Cullen made for the door. 

“Cullen,” Leliana called after him. He turned and looked at the woman sauntering behind him, “Bring her home,” she said cooly. But under her stoic exterior, he could see her fear. It was the Inquisitor that had pushed her toward the position of Divine. One she would take in only a few short months. 

He nodded and turned on his heel, striding toward his office. 

The Commander did not sleep that night.


	4. Normandy

Two hours. Two bloody hours. Maker, this is driving me insane. Cassandra sulked in the corner with her feet on the bench. Bull sat inspecting the metal of his helm for the thousandth time. Sera paced the cell like a wild animal. All I could do was sit with my head in my hands.  
All we could do was listen to the chaos outside. Roars and rapid-fire explosions sounded from outside. There were screams of terror that make me want to burst through the metal walls and fight my way out of this hell hole. 

But I tried that already. The door couldn’t be kicked in.  
Maker, what was I going to do? I needed to get back to Sky hold. No doubt Harding had sent a bird to Leliana already. Cullen will be worried sick….

Then the door slid open and a woman strode in along with another of those creatures. I stood out of respect but took my ‘Inquisitor stance’ as Bull called it. Apparently I took it when I was royally pissed and wanted answers. 

I eyed her for a moment. She had an eerie beauty about her. She had chocolatey brown hair tied back into a corse bun. Her eyes were light blue, almost silver, and her armor was perhaps the strangest thing I had ever seen. It was completely metal and moulded to her body at every curve. Surely it couldn't be effective. 

“What the hell is the meaning of this soldiers!” she bellowed. 

“You tell me! I have no idea where we are right now.

“I beg your pardon? You're not really in a position to argue right now,” she said snidely. 

“My name is Inquisitor Uriah Trevelyan, Leader of the the Inquisition, Herald of Andraste, Savior of Thedas….? You have no idea what I’m saying do you?”

“Not really no,” the creature behind her said flatly. 

“Look. The other…. person… that was here before said something about this whole thing being a big joke but its not! I don’t think we are of the same timelines. Or even the same universe. The last thing I remember before turning up in the middle of this war zone is taking down a bloody Avvaar deity trapped in a dragon’s body!”

“A what? Did you just say dragon?” 

“Yes,” I pleaded. 

“Why am I having a hard time believing this?” the woman said. 

“You are in the middle of a battle, are you not?” Cassandra piped in. 

“Well, not so much any more the biggest threats are mostly taken care of,” she said in reply. 

“The Inquisitor has a mark on her hand called the Anchor. It opens holes in the Veil and can close them too. If we give you proof of this, will you take us seriously?” she said. 

“You are not going into the middle of a firefight in leather armor and swords. And—,” the creature laughed, “oh, for fucks sake is that a bow and arrows? And a stick? You must be nuts.”  
“Please listen to us,” I asked. Taking my stance. 

“The woman pursed her lips and sighed, “Garrus is right, Trevelyan. You're not going anywhere in that.” She gestured to my top-of-the-line armor. 

“Well then, where are we going?” Sera asked incredulously. 

“With me. We’ll get aboard the Normandy and get all of this bullshit figured out,” she ordered. 

I glanced back at Cassandra and shrugged. We had no where else to go. 

We followed the woman (who called herself Commander Shepard) out into the field and she barked orders to no-one. I cocked my head. This was a truly strange place. 

A great big metal beast descended from the sky and I could see Sera nock an arrow in the corner of my eye. I myself had to resist to urge to throw a fireball at the blasted thing. I hovered above the ground and its belly opened up. The Commander and the other creature rand toward it casually and leapt onto the runway. She turned around and saw us stil on the ground. 

“ Oh, for fuck’s sake get up here soldier!” I hesitantly leapt into action and climbed aboard the platform, the others following close behind. When we were on the beast began to ascend and the door began to close. 

“Andraste’s tits,” I breathed. There was nothing like it. Inside this ship there were other smaller ones. And there were loads of crates and other people frantically analyzing glowing boards that I had never seen. 

One by one the people began to look up at us and gawk. Evidently news traveled faster here than at Skyhold. 

Out of nowhere a disembodied voice sprang up, “Commander, Admiral Hackett is on vid-comm.” It was masculine but she could not place a body to go with it. 

“I’ll be up in minute, Joker. I have a few things to take care of.” 

“Oh yeah! I heard about those nut cases on Menae. Man they picked the worst time to pull that bull shit,” it said. Oh, great we were crazy now. 

“Oi! What did you just call us? This isn’t a fucking joke! Come out where I can put an arrow in your throat!” Sera shouted. 

“Oh so they speak English! Beautiful! Joker out.”

“Garrus, take them to holding for now. I need to speak with the admiral.”

“Alright,” the woman turned and left, “Come with me.”

The room he put us in was considerably nicer… and quieter… than the other cell we were in at least.


	5. Shepard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get a little more familiar with the character of Catarina Shepard.

“Report Commander, I heard it got ugly down there,” Hackett’s voice called over the comms as his image flickered in the holo. EDI was still trying to get comms functioning at full capacity. 

“Yes, sir. Unfortunately, Primarch Fedorian fell in battle, but General Adrian Victus has taken his place in the Hierarchy,” I recited to the Admiral. 

“Hmm,” he shook his head, “This damn war is taking too many good men. What was your impression of Victus?” 

I thought about how the turian leader carried himself on the field and how close he was with his men. He commanded respect, and not only that, he deserved it. 

“He is a brilliant leader and he isn't a ‘traditional’ politician. His tactics are ingenious and he claims the attention and respect of anyone who works with him. In short, sir,” I paused for dramatic effect, “He is the best thing that could have happened for the hierarchy.”

Hackett raised his eyebrows at the glowing review, “Good. Hopefully this will turn out as a win for us.”

“Sir? What is our next move?”

“Now we just have to get the council races to meet and discuss a military alliance. Have you received word from Tuchanka?”

I shook my head, “Not directly, no. Members of the Salarian, Turian, and Krogan governments are planning to meet and discuss the alliance. It is set in place, I have a few issues of my own to cary out before we dock at then location.”

“It sounds like you have it covered Commander. Is there anything else?”

I paused fore a moment, debating whether or not I should say anything about our new guests.   
“Yes, sir I do. You have access to all personnel records, correct?” 

“Yes… where are you going with this Shepard? You know I can’t give you access.”

I pursed my lips, “That’s not what I’m asking you, sir. On Menae, Gene— Primarch Victus approached me about an issue with some soldiers of ours on site.”

“Soldiers?” Hackett interrupted me, “We don't have anyone stationed on Menae.”

“Exactly, sir,” I sighed. Might as well rip off the bandaid now, I suppose, “Four people popped up on the outskirts of a classified base on the ground. Two were human, but the other two were completely unidentified races. Well, unidentified real races. One claimed to be an elf, the other something called a Qunari.”

“A what? Im having a hard time believing this, Shepard. Elves? This is straight out of Tolkien.”

“That’s not even the strangest part. Each and every one of them showed up in leather armor. Their weapons were primitive. Bows and arrows, swords and shields, great axes, even a goddamn stick. And they claimed to be from a different dimension! One of the humans called herself Inquisitor Uriah Trevelyan.”

Admiral Hackett rubbed the back of his neck in disbelief, “What do you want to do about it?”

“I— permission to speak candidly, sir.”

“Granted.”

“Somethings are simply too bizarre to be made up. And it takes a sick bastard to pull   
something like this when people are dying. Perhaps… shit. Maybe we should give them a chance.”

He raised his eyebrows, “That is… confident, Commander. This could be an intricate Cerberus ploy to take away your attention.”

“Sir, I’ll run psychological and physical examinations on all of the prisoners and send you the reports for review. In the mean time, would you run their names through the databases?”

“Of course.”

“Here they are: Uriah Trevelyan, Cassandra Pentghast, Sera, the elf, and….” I had to read the name twice on the report just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, “The Iron Bull, the qunari.”

“No real name?” he asked, “What about this Sera’s last name?”

“None given, sir. We know very little about them.”

“Very well. Get on those psych evals right away. Hackett out.”

I saluted my superior officer and the holo winked out. I stared at the empty space for quite sometime before I called to Joker. 

“Joker, plot a course for Eden Prime. There are a few things I want to take care of there before we head the meet site.”

“Will do, Commander,” he shot back. I swear, that pilot has eyes and ears everywhere. He knows when you call his name, and he convenient interrupts very important moments. I thought back to the night after the council docked us and I *almost* kissed Liara for the first time… Christo, Joker is a creep. 

Turning on my heel, I marched through the War Room and to the Elevator. I rode down to the crew deck and strode straight to the med bay. 

The door slid open and Chakwas was giving Garrus the customary check-up she gave all new crew members. He still struck me dumb. Many might look at a Turian and be completely turned off based on our history, but I…. He’s been with me since the start and has always had my 6. during the battle with the collectors even when Kaiden and Liara all but refused to come with me, he dropped everything because: “If it was important enough for me to go and interrupt him in the middle of bringing justice to the galaxy, it was important enough for him to drop everything and help”. And he did. And I can’t say I didn’t start to *feel* something. Not love, not yet, but something. 

“Shepard!” Garrus greeted me with flared mandibles, the Turian version of a smile, “Goo dot see you in one piece! We really didn't get to talk on Menae, but…” he walked over to see when Chakras was turned and whispered in my ear, “Maybe we can catch up later.”

My cheeks turned red, and I prayed to every deity there was that he didn't know what that meant. But I chuckled to myself and turned to him, “Maybe we will Vakarian. We’ll see if you still have that *unmatchable* reach of yours. I’ll bring the wine.”

He coughed in surprise at the comeback. Usually I was a stuttering mess in these situations, but all the “flirting” with Vega brushed up my skills. Garrus walked past me and made his way to the main battery. 

“Is there something I can help you with, Commander?” Chakwas interrupted my thoughts. 

“Yes. Those prisoners I brought in, I need you to run a full psych and physical panel on them for a report to Admiral Hackett.”

“Well, you certainly know how to keep my job interesting, Commander. I’l get on it right away. Allow me an hour or so to prepare my materials and I’ll send a guard to escort them here.”

“I’ll bring them myself. I want to speak with them about a few things.”

“Such as?” the doctor crossed her arms. 

“I need to verify their stories. I’m not going to waterboard them or anything.”

“I’m afraid it will have to wait. The commanding officer who detained them coming in personally to interrogate could mentally skew them. I need them as close to their normal selves as possible for this.”

I sighed. Damn medicine. All I wanted was to ask a few simple questions. But I knew enough by now not to question Karin Chakwas.

“Alright. Fine,” I resigned, “I’ll be in the shuttle bay. Have the reports sent to my cabin when you’re finished.”

“Yes, Commander,” the doctor turned to her counter. As I left she called me, “Shepard!” it was very rare that she used my first name. Cocking an eyebrow I turned back around to look at her through the sliding doors. 

“Yes, Doctor?” 

“Please take care of yourself this time through. Don’t let the world weigh you down. If you ever feel like you’re stuck, just focus on taking the next breath. Not what it takes to get there. Just breathe. And come speak with me right away.”

“Doctor, I don’t want any meds.”

“You don’t need any. As a medical professional, I’m telling you it’s okay to relax once in a while. Get some sleep. I’ll send the reports up to your cabin.”

I mock-saluted her, “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” I turned on my heel and went to the elevators. The doors closed behind me and I stopped when the VI asked me what floor I wanted to go to. I punched the shuttle bay. Chakwas would be royally… disappointed in me but those dreams…. they were unbearable. I had not told anyone about them yet. I didn’t want anyone taking up my time with stupid questions about my feelings. I didn't care about me. I just cared that I stopped this bull shit as soon as possible so that not another life was lost to the mother fucking reapers. 

The doors opened and the ensigns near the door stood to attention. 

“At ease,” I said. I moved to my armor locker and removed my chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, and boots. I learned very early on in the streets that you had to take care of the shit you had. So, I picked the old rag and oil tin out of my locker— outdated by modern military standards and completely out of regulation, but everyone had their bad habits— and sat on a crate near Vega to clean away the blood and dirt from the moon. 

I dabbed the rag in the oil and scrubbed the maroon chest plate in tight circles until the area sparked. It was a slow process that usually took me upwards of two hours to get through my entire amor set plus my weapons. Call me antiquated, but the monotony of the simple action helped me clear my mind; it acted as a waking slumber for me, where the Commander ended and the automaton version of Cat Shepard began. 

“Commander, you going at that again? You really are loca, Lola,” Vega chuckled behind me. 

“Aww, everybody has their quirks, Vega. This is just one of mine!” I responded. I don’t think I’ve said that to him before, right? It was my standard response when people got on my case. 

“So, tell me, then, Lola. What are the others?” he asked me in his deep, flirtatious drawl. 

Without looking up from my work: “The world may never know. There’s one thing I like to do with ice cubes… or is it handcuffs?” I smirked, “I ca’t keep them straight anymore.”

Vega let loose a throaty chuckle, “Well, damn.” He turned back to his weapons bench in defeat. ‘Ha ha’, I thought. 

After precisely two hours and 34 minutes, I had worked my equipment to a sheen that would have blinded any mercy trying to take us down. Mother fucker, I still had it. 

I hoped that the reports were in my cabin when I got there. What would I do? Sleep? I suppose I could try… maybe I wouldn’t go through that god-awful nightmare again… Lord knew I needed it. I hadn’t slept since we docked on the Citadel to drop off Kaidan. I wouldn’t want to let down Doc Chak, right?


	6. Unbelievable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uriah's POV

Unbelievable. The view, I mean. We were literally floating among the stars. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be in this position. I sat cross-legged on the ground in front of the massive (and surprisingly clear) picture window and stared, hopelessly entranced, into the vast night as it moved by my small field of vision. 

Of course, I was the only one filled with fascination. Cassandra sat on the sofa behind me with her head in her hands, probably thinking of a way out of here, but coming up short as this was a situations she’d never thought she’d be in either. Sera had poked her way through every inch of the room and had happened upon someone’s stash of alcohol. Bull had joined in when he heard her crack open the bottle. 

“Oi! Whaduz,” Sera squinted at the bottle, “dexrto n’ levo mean?” she said rather loudly and with a definite slur in her words. Sometimes I deeply regretted bringing her along on these little excursions of mine. Namely because she could get drunk absolutely anywhere on a moment’s notice. Unbelievable. 

“I don’t know Sera. I wouldn’t drink anything unfamiliar, please. I need you in tip top shape,” I chided gently. 

“Yeah, yeah, boss. We’ll be fine,” Bull said. Either he held his alcohol incredibly well, or he was always a little drunk and this was his norm. 

I sighed and looked out the window again. I realized that something felt a little off about this place, besides the obvious. The fade felt too far away. Still there, but the veil was thicker here. I slipped into meditation and reached out my aura to the fade like that bastard Solas showed me. His one redeeming quality. 

It took me nearly twenty minutes to even begin to broach the Fade. It was just whispers at first, but then I heard small bits of phrases. Something about ‘The Code’. Then, I began to see blurred images and figures. A woman with blue skin and shining red clothing sitting in the same position as me. Then the window was gone and objects were tossed about the room, and terrifying figures— I heard the word ‘Collector’ quite a bit at this point— dragging screaming people through the doors. A man hobbled just outside the door, “Shit, shit, shit!” and, “What the shit?!”. Their screams were blood curdling and I snapped my eyes open. A fine layer of sweat dripped down my brow and into my eyes that I had to wipe away. 

Hurriedly, I brought my hand up and tried to conjure a simple fire ball. It took a few moments longer than I would have liked, but a flame sported from my palm at my intended intensity. I extinguished it and only then did I realize that after my simple spell I was… tired. 

“Not good, not good, not good,” I muttered. If we got into a real fight and I couldn't fight at my max, I was finished. 

“Inquisitor?” Cassandra kneeled behind me. I grabbed her shoulder and forced my self to stand. 

“How long was I gone?” I asked worriedly. 

“An hour, Uriah. Did you reach the Fade?” Cassandra questioned me. 

“Barely, it’s almost impossible here. Like I’m swimming through syrup instead of flying. The same thing with my magic… I— this isn’t good.”

Sera poked her head out from around the base of the bar, “Thazwhy I don't fuckround with the mage-y shit, quizzy!” 

Bull laughed, “Ha! Yeah boss! Would this be a good time for me to teach you how to swing a great sword.” 

I shook my head at them and turned back to Cassandra, “This isn-.” The door swung (sorry, slid) open and an unfamiliar person stood in the doorway. Carrying a cannon-y thing.

“Come with me,” he said forcefully. He nodded his head forward and I eyed him stoically as I walked through the door. 

“Sera! Bull! Get your asses out of the bar and get in here before the kind gentleman stuns your ass and drags you out!” I yelled. 

Sera popped up and saluted me before collapsing into a fit of giggles. Bull shook his head and threw her over his shoulder and followed us. The man in the door way looked at them and then at the empty bottles. He rushed to the bar and filed through every compartment he could find, but every bottle had been consumed in its entirety. 

“Sweet mother Mary! You should be dead!”

Bull laughed again and chortled, “Probably!” 

The man, startled, walked slowly through the door and we followed him to a white room off of what seemed to be a dining hall.There was an older woman waiting for us in a strange uniform that included rubbery gloves pulled up to her elbows. Not an inch of skin was exposed. She looked up from her strange tablet and eyed us curiously. 

We must have been a sight to see in our full armor, and with Sera slung over Bull’s shoulder, kicking her legs wildly. 

“Pumedowwwwn!” she yelled and I just stubbed a hand over my face in embarrassment. 

The woman looked pointedly at the soldier and he said, “Doctor Chakwas, ma’am…. I— they— that is, she and he,” he pointed to the bafoons I called companions, “drank… everything.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone’s eyebrows shoot up at such speed and so high. Her jaw dropped to the floor. 

“Everything? Even the dextro?”

“Everything.”

“Maker’s breath,” Cassandra breathed, “I am surrounded by idiots.” I looked at her in question and she said, “You know what I mean, Herald.”

The doctor, still awestruck, piped up after a few moments, “Why don't we sedate her? I need to run a few tests and I need her… cooperative.”

Sera didn't like that, “What? Sedateme? You're not gettin’ aywhere near me!” She fought and kicked against Bull’s arms but he refused to let her down to rampage through the room. He knew that we were outnumbered and it was probably a bad idea to let an angry elf loose. 

The soldier opened a drawer and removed a long, clear cylinder with a needle at the end and a plunger at the other. The compartment was filled with a clear, colorless fluid. He cautiously approach Bull and, avoiding the wild kicks, positioned the needle above the fleshy part of Sera’s leg. Then, he pushed the needle into her leg. I cringed, it just seemed so… barbaric. But what he did next surprised me quite a bit: he pushed down the plunger with his thumb and the fluid went into her leg. I started and glanced at the doctor, who seemed indifferent. In fact, she had completely turned away and was prepping some strange looking equipment. 

Shortly, the protests subsided and Sera dangled limply from Bull’s shoulder. 

“You can set her here, soldier,” the doctor said. Bull stepped forward and eased Sera onto the bench. 

“I presume you are Iron Bull?” she asked. 

“*The* Iron Bull. My name has three words, not two.”

“Oh, very well,” I could see her shift uncomfortably, “and you are Ms. Trevelyan and Ms. Pentghast?” I wrinkled my nose at the title, as did Cassandra. 

“Doctor, my name is *Inquisitor* Uriah Trevelyan. My companion is *Seeker* Cassandra Pentghast. If we must be informal, my title is Lady, but I refuse to answer to Miss,” I stood indignantly, my chest puffed outward. 

The doctor nodded and seemed to make mental note of my behavior. Without a word, she walked to the back of the sterile room and opened a door. 

“Inquisitor Trevelyan, take a seat in here,” she ordered. I followed. 

The next room was smaller and warmer. Behind metal grates, I could see flashing lights and hear a faint beeping. The chairs and table positioned in the middle of the room were cold steel, much like a knife. The doctor took the chair facing the door with me on the other side. 

She held a glowing tablet in her hand and seemed to control its movements and began to tap buttons on the surface. Unfamiliar words appeared on the surface facing her. Sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph, the woman catalogued my every word until finally she directed her attention to me. 

“Please state your name, date of birth, and place of origin for the record,” she said. 

“Lady Inquisitor Uriah Elora Trevelyan, Herald of Andraste, bane of the darkspawn Magister Corypheus. Born on the 23 of Harvestmere in the year 9:02 Dragon. In the city of Ostwick in the Free Marches.”

“Where are the Free Marches, exactly?”

“They are located north of the Waking Sea in the southern region of Thedas.”

“Where is Thedas?” 

This woman was starting to annoy me, “Apparently not here!”

She made note again and repeated, “Where is Thedas? We have no record of that nation in any star or terrestrial map.”

“Thedas is…. I don't know it just *is*. It’s home to all of the Races and species of Thedas. It is my home. And if you read the records of my interview with that… creature on the moon, you would know why I you have no record of it.” 

“Would you please repeat your claim for me?”

With a sigh, “My party and I were following up a lead on the Jaws of Hakkon, an Avvaar cult dedicated to the god— you know what let’s just leave it at cult. Anyway, they were dedicated to bringing back a power that would destroy all that the Inquisition had worked so hard for. In short, this power was trapped in the form of a dragon, which I killed, and the essence of its spirit tainted the rift I opened. We were sucked into it, and here I am now.”  
She nodded and made a few notes on her tablet. The questions lasted for a small eternity. She asked me about the Inquisition, former of current relationships (and the intimacy involved in them…), about my childhood, about the circle, about my abilities as a mage, about the Fade and all that was associated with it, and on and on and on and on. I had laid my life bare to her like she had dissected my mind sitting at this knife-table. 

Finally, she dismissed me and called in Cassandra. I nodded to her on the way out to signal her that all was well and she strode in without pause. 

The doors closed and I looked at Bull. He seemed royally bored. There was positively nothing to do with Sera asleep and had to laugh. 

“Bull, are you okay?”

“Shit, boss. All I want to do is *hit* something right now. I hate all this fucking time-and-space shit,” he grumbled. 

I walked to the other bed and leaned on the edge, looking at him, “Me too, Bull. But all we can do is cooperate until we can find a way home.” 

He mumbled something under his breath, but I ignored it and pushed myself onto the bed so I was sitting cross-legged facing the window. Once in a while, someone would walk by and look at us strangely, but there was nothing I could do about it. I hated that feeling more than anything. 

I used the opportunity, however to meditate once more. I closed my eyes and straightened my back. I let my aura and consciousness meld and relax to fill the volume of the space I occupied. Reaching out with my spirit, I tapped the thick curtain that separated the waking world from the fade and tried to cut through it, or brush it aside or *something*. 

‘This is getting old’, I thought to myself, ‘If I am going to see Cullen, or anyone that I care about, for that matter, again…. I need to figure out how to get out of this place.’ 

Cass emerged and Bull entered, and them he emerged and Sera was woken up and she entered. Still, I pried my way deeper into the Fade. Gradually, the images became sharper until it was as if I was standing in the room with these people. At every scene, I was filled with emotions: sorrow, laughter, anger, fright… I saw what these people saw and learned what they knew by listening to them speak. Each bit of information helped me put together the puzzle until I finally saw a picture emerge. It was at that point that my eyes snapped open and I cried out. 

“Maker preserve me!” I said quietly. I sprung up from the table and crossed the room to the the doors in the back. I banged on the doors until they slid open and the doctor like furiously at me. 

“Doctor Chakwas?”

“What?” she said angrily. There was a not of surprise as well that I knew her name. 

“I need to speak with Commander Shepard.”


	7. A Goddess in Her Own Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen's POV. Mostly an update, not very long. Thank you for the kind comments! It really motivates me to update more frequently. I'll try to knock out about a chapter or so every day or two over spring break. Enjoy!

Cullen rode hard through the second night of his journey and made it to the main encampment by dawn. His small party, among them Dorian, Varric, and Enchantress Vivienne (at their insistence) and a few soldiers to relieve those on duty. He dismounted his horse and handed the reigns to a scout nearby, who removed the saddle, picked her hooves, brushed her, and gave her food and water. 

He had ridden ahead, so he arrived alone without drawing much attention, especially since the sun had barely risen. He strode through the camp to the command tent and threw open the flaps. No one was inside. He had expected Harding to be here but since he was alone, he took the chance to review the map of the area until the others arrived. 

The map was dotted with little markers spread in every corner. Especially along the river — which made sense considering that was where the Inquisition shipped in its supplies from— and on the southern and eastern coasts. Cullen picked up a marker from the easter edge of the map. Underneath it, the paper read ‘Stonebear Hold’. He remembered reading that name in several reports… he would have to ask a few questions later today sometime. 

He looked at the markers more and was able to loosely trace Uriah’s movements around the Basin. She had dealt quite a bit with the Avvaar clan to the east: bringing an offering, finding their… bear, filling out a requisition for an offering of some sort. She had traveled north and found ruins, and she led an assault on the Jaws of Hakkon’s headquarters. 

Maker, this woman could pack a month’s work into a week. Was she even human? Cullen smiled to himself…. he had seen enough of her to answer that question…

HIs tired mind wandered to memories of his love. He remembered her after Haven. He saw her rise above the crest of the hill and collapse, definable only by her glowing green hand. He carried her home, then. He hoped to once more. He thought about her at Adamant and how she so skillfully cut through the demons and possessed wardens as if they were nothing to her. He saw her then as a goddess in her own right. Surely, nothing so epically powerful could be contained in human form. He thought of Uriah at the Winter Palace, too. She artfully maneuvered in the jungle of deceit and intrigue with the grace of a tropical bird. In the end, she had shocked everyone. Except for him. He knew that she was capable of anything. Absolutely anything…

“Commander!” Harding entered the tent while he was deep in thought and was surprised to see him, “We weren’t expecting you to arrive until later in the morning. I am surprised you rode ahead through the night.” Lace Harding was no fool. She could see the lines of worry on the Commander’s face. She saw them on herself every morning in her wash basin. 

“Scout Harding,” he greeted, “I only arrived an hour or so ago. I have been retracing Ur— the Inquisitor’s steps through the area. Understandably, she keeps her reports rather vague and preferred to give the advisors a full report upon her return…”

“Ah. I get it Commander. We’ve been scouring everything on Hakkon in the College’s and Avvaar libraries for the last few days to try and figure it out, but what we found is very minimal… nothing like this has happened before.”

Cullen fought back a sigh, “You were there, were you not?”

“Yes, Commander, I was,” she closed her eyes and shook her head, “Maker, it’s all too clear in my mind. I was staying on the outskirts of the battle because I had never faced a dragon before, much less a god. Anyway, everything was going rather smoothly until she opened up that damn rift. The dragon was all but dead. The spirit was being sucked out of it as it usually was and then… it turned *black*. Even a dwarf could see that something wasn’t right about it, sir. It was evil and it twisted around itself, strangling and choking…” she took a deep breath, “It was like ink had been suspended in thin air. It blocked my view completely. And when it snapped closed, they were all gone. It was as it they were never there.”

Cullen’s heart fell into his boots, “What did you find in the texts?”

“We spoke to the hold’s augur and he gave us the most useful information. He said that Hakkon had a history of vengeance that tainted his spirit and turned it sour. Like milk, he said. He had satin wait for a very long time for the Jaws to come and bring him through the Veil. This gave him a bigger chance to fuel his vengeance, and so, when he was dragged back across, his spirit resisted because the Inquisitor stopped him from completing his task.”

“Then why didn’t this happen with Corypheus?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out, Commander.”

“Very well, Harding. Gather what you’ve found so far and prepare it for Master Pavus and Madame De Fer’s review,” Cullen rubbed his brow. He could feel the throbbing behind his eyes that signaled a headache, “In the mean time, I think I will freshen up.”

“I’ll send a messenger to tell you of the party’s arrival, Commander,” Harding said in pity. 

“Thank you,” he left the tent and gingerly crossed the clearing to a vacant tent where he had placed his things earlier. Cullen removed the bar of soap from his pack and a small rag. He made his way, then to the barrels of rain and river water and dipped a basin into the cool reserve. He so wished he could bathe in the river like he did when he was a child, but he knew as well as any soldier that those small pleasures were not possible anymore for all the evils lurking about. 

So, instead, he took the basin to his tent and unbuckled his armor and furs. The cool air hit him and he felt goose pimples rise on his arms and neck. He soaked the rag in water and lathered it before scrubbing it across his skin. He blissfully recollected on the blistering hot baths Uri would heat for herself. She tried to coax him into one once, but he only got as far as his left ankle before he had to stop. She amazed him still that she could withstand it. Even more proof that she was more than just a mere mortal. 

He replaced his armor after the bath and sat on his bedroll for a moment. This headache was a bad one, he could feel it. he hadn’t had one like this for a while. But it just reminded him that he was still chained by the order. He was still a slave to Lyrium. There was a solution, but he couldn’t let himself think of it. He had come so far, he would not fall. 

“Commander?” a muffled voice called from outside of the canvas. Even that noise had cause a shooting pain to erupt somewhere around the back of his skull. 

“I’ll be out in a minute,” he called irritatedly. He slowly pushed himself to his knees and crawled to his pack. Cullen dug out one of the little bottles Uriah had prepared for him in these situations containing a powerful potion meant to ease the pain of his headaches. Or at least make him functional. He downed one and waited a few moments in the din of his tent. 

Cullen emerged and from across the camp, he could hear his noisy companions discussing the files. 

“Oh wonderful! We defeat a want-to-be god and the universe feels it appropriate to send us a real bonafide one! Thank you, universe!” the dry humor was unmistakably Dorian’s. 

“My dear, please do ease up on the unnecessary jokes. It’s unbecoming,” Vivienne drawled.

“Alright, alright. Look, I’m not claiming to know anymore about this than you, but I think we need to pay attention to the details of Harding’s and the Augur’s stories! If this Hakkon was spoiled by vengeance, why didn't we have the same problem with Corypheus?” Varric ended the little feud. 

“My dear, Corypheus was originally human. Just twisted and ancient by some unseen power,” the Grand Enchanter explained, “Hakkon is a true god, or at least an especially powerful spirit.”

Cullen entered the tent and took his place at the table. 

“Curly! I’m glad to see you’re still alive after you bolted in the middle of the night!” Varric joked, although there was a note of worry in his voice. 

“Well I am alive, so there’s no need to speak about it,” there was a heavy silence, “What have you found.”

“We have deduced only what you most likely heard while waiting outside of the tent, or did you think we didn’t see you?” Dorian said. 

“Of course,”Cullen said, “But did you think of anything else.”

“Yeah. I need to know more about Hakkon,” Varric piped up, “What makes him so different than other spirits if that is who the the Avvaar worship.”

“I was thinking of the same thing,” Cullen admitted, “It seems to me that a trip to Stonebear Hold is in order. I have a few questions for the Augur.”


	8. AWOL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uriah's POV
> 
> Finally meaningful conversation between Shepard and the Inquisitor.

The doctor stared at me incredulously. Perhaps she didn't understand me? Was there a language barrier here?

“I beg your pardon?” she asked slowly. I suppose she was still a little shocked that I had used her whole name when she had, in fact, never told it to me. 

“I need to see Commander Shepard. Now, please,” I said firmly. 

“Inquisitor, thats not possible. You will have to wait until after I have completed the physicals I am due to give you,” she said. 

“Doctor,” I said exasperatedly, “It is of the utmost importance that I speak to the Commander immediately.”

“You’ve been told no.”

“But—,” I protested. 

“NO. Ensign! make sure that the Inquisitor doesn't cause another disturbance of this nature,” the man that guarded the other door approached me and spread his arm across the doorway. 

He looked at Doctor Chakwas and asked her, “Should I take her back to the observation deck?”

The doctor nodded, “For now, yes. I’ll bring her back once we’re finished.”

He guided me toward the other door and grabbed my elbow so I wouldn't be going anywhere. Strangely, I felt that I had walked these halls a million times from my time in the Fade. There weren’t many people in the galley, so maybe I could….

I pretended to trip over my own feet and the guard stopped and bent to help me up. As he was unsteady on his feet, I brought my elbow up to connect with his nose. He stumbled backward in surprise and then I swept his feet out from under him while he played on his back, I ran to one of the tunnels that ran under the floors. I slid down the ladder and found myself in a tight space. On my hands and knees, I shimmied along until I reached the right ladder. By now, of course, there were red lights and alarms blaring all over the ship. 

I climbed the ladder and pushed myself onto the metal floor of the cabin. It was a small antechamber with a door on either side of it. I chose the one on the left and stood in front of it. The rectangle on it glowed red (wasn’t it supposed to be green?). I banged on the door, but it didn't yield. With a sigh of exasperation I slid back down the ladder and crawled to the next ladder. 

At the top of this one I found myself in the room I wanted to be in. The Captain’s Quarters. It was a little posh for a military commander, and she thought so too. Though I could hardly judge her because I had a whole *tower* to my self back in Skyhold. 

The room was very…. cold. Not frosty, but it seemed impersonal. Oh sure, there were a few pictures and cases of fish and odd metal contraptions, but I wouldn’t have called it home. It was mostly gray and black and white. Even the skylights opening up into the night sky. while marvelous, were a little frigid and intimidating. 

Something told me that the Commander seldom spent time here. 

I sat on the black couch in the corner of the room and waited. Eventually she had to come back. And then I would have a chance to speak with her. 

The alarms continued to blare as I heard the lift open on the other side of the doors. There was a beep and they slid open to reveal an armed and armored party of three, poised to attack. I stood and put my hands in the air to show that I was unarmed and did not mean to attack. 

Shepard, a large human man, and the gray scaled creature entered, guns aimed at me. They did not yield even as Shepard yelled:

“What the hell do you think your doing! I ought to have you court-martialed! Oh wait, I’m already on my way to do that!”

“I needed to speak with you, Commander,” I said calmly. 

“Bullshit! you can drop the act soldier! You claim that you are from some primitive universe that has no knowledge of this tech, but you just out maneuvered most of my guards and managed to slip into my cabin,” she got very close to my face in hopes of intimidating me, but I remained impassive, “Tell then, *Uriah*,” she sneered, “what did the Illusive Man send you here to do?”

I had heard that name before. There were a lot of mixed emotions about him. A long time ago, it was respect that attached itself to the mysterious figure, but now it was resentment and hostility.

“I must admit, I know little of the man or his plans. And I am from Thedas, not the Milky Way,” I said. 

“Then explain to me how you knew so much about the layout of this ship!”

“I saw it in the Fade.”

“The… what? Speak english, soldier.”

“I will need more time and fewer guns to accomplish that, Catarina,” I smiled. 

Her face blanched and she looked back at the other two, signaling them to lower their weapons. They complied and she turned back to me, a look of anger and suspicion danced on her features. 

“How do you know my name?” she nearly growled. 

“I’ll give you three guesses,” I said cheekily. We must have stared at each other for a very long time, waiting for the other to back down. Finally, one of the two men behind her coughed, breaking the silence. 

“Sit,” she waved her gun at me and I returned to my original position. 

“Why are you here?” she asked coldly. I was beginning to realize that she probably did spend a great deal of time in her room. 

“As in in this room? Or in this universe?”

“Let’s start with room and work our way outward, shall we?”

“Very well, I was meditating and studying the Fade so I could learn about this time and I saw something I wanted to discuss with you.”

“You were studying the what?”

“The Fade, it is the realm of spirits and dreams in my world. It exists here too, but very far away. I tried to focus my energy on entering it so I could observe the memories of this ship, the Normandy.”

She stared blankly at me, “So…. that’s how you knew my name?”

“Yes, and the layout of the ship.”

“Ah,” she turned to the others, “Wait outside guys, I’ve got this.” They obeyed the orders. 

We sat in silence staring at each other. Studying. Again. She was… impressive. Her face was dotted with scars that glowed faintly orange and her eyes… I had once before seen them as silvery blue, and still now, but I saw undertones of the same orangey glow in her scars. 

“What do you want?”

I was surprised at the sudden breach of silence, “I saw the things you call Reapers.”

“I see… What about the bastards?”

“Have you ever… killed one?”  
“Once. On the citadel— ah… the capital, let’s say— I took down Sovereign,” she explained the battle to me and all she could tell me about the Reapers. Which, admittedly, was very little. 

I nodded, “Do they have… souls?”

Shepard looked away, “They’re sentient machines… even if they did have souls, which I doubt, I think they would be dark and shriveled and twisted.”

“They are driven by vengeance,” I said understandingly. 

Shepard nodded and looked at her boots. They sparkled strangely and so… intensely. 

“The god that I defeated before I ended up here, Hakkon, he was too. He was hell bent on destroying my home. And before that, there was Corypheus.”

She looked at me, “Then you know why they need to be stopped no matter the cost.”

“Not at any cost. Don’t sacrifice your humanity to save humanity.”

The Commander pursed her lips, “What’s your point, here?” I could tell that she contested that point.

“If these Reapers have souls that are corrupted and twisted like Hakkon was… maybe I could use it to reopen a rift back to my time.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, “A what?” Oh, right. She didn’t know about those yet. 

A rift, I can cause tears in the Veil that lead directly to the Fade. From there, maybe I can—“

“Hold your horses, there, soldier. I still don’t even know if you're telling the truth about this. What do you want me to do? Take you charging into battle against the most terrifyingly powerful creatures in the galaxy?”

I shrugged, “Well, yeah. It’s not like I’ve never fought before.”

She laughed haughtily and stood up, “You came here in leather armor, carrying sticks, swords, shields, and bows—.”

“Staff.”

“What?” she said. 

I repeated, “It’s called a staff. It channels magical energy for battle.”

“Alright Gandalf, tell me, have you ever even handled a gun?”

“I— no?”

“And do you always make a habit of wearing leather armor like that?” she gestured to my armor. What was wrong with it?

“Yes. It is very good armor,” I said defensively. 

“There’s your problem. You know nothing about modern combat. Before I even think about taking you in the field to take down a fucking Reaper,” she paused, “You need training. Your whole party needs training. And armor. And physical and psychological panels. How are those going by the way?”

I looked sheepishly at the ground, “Dandy.”

“I’ll take you back to med bay. After that, *if* you check out, then, and only then, will you receive minimal training upon approval from Admiral Hackett. And only when you pass basic firearm training will you be outfitted with actual armor. Do I make myself clear?”

I stood and faced her. I had done things far more difficult, like brokering a bloodless peace in Orlais, or, you know, taking down two gods, “Crystal, Commander.”


	9. Green Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard's POV

The Inquisitor is nuts. 

I mean, the *Fade*? What kind of red sand trip was she on? Part of me wanted to dismiss it as a wild ploy to be discharged from the military and live out the rest of her existence in the quickly-crumbling galaxy in a cushy, civilian colony. On the other hand, this seemed too well-constructed (and she seemed too normal, beyond the obvious lunacy) to be some Cat-8 plot. 

Besides, her story matched the others’ to the very last detail. Every single person, even the drunken elf, had matched the events of the Inquisitor’s story. Their psych and physical panels checked out. The two humans were healthier than most of my crew. And the elf, despite being a drunken mess and having an obvious attention deficit disorder, was in peak physical condition. On top of that, the qunari, who could have taken Vega in a wrestling match, was an incredible specimen by human standards. 

It was time that I reviewed a few things with the Admiral. Both about the panels and out findings on the Eden Prime mission (which occurred shortly after my little chat with the Inquisitor, during her physical). 

I marched straight to the War Room from the Shuttle Bay after putting my armor and sidearms in my locker. Liara took the ‘package’ to his temporary quarters in the engineering deck. This day just got weirder and weirder. First, I find out that there’s a spirit realm that contains every memory ever, and now we find a *prothean* for God’s sake. Then again, that was just a normal, everyday Tuesday for me. 

Traynor’s voice came over the com: “Commander, Admiral Hackett is available on vid-comm. 

“Thanks, Traynor.” I tapped the button on the display and Admiral Hackett’s holo sprang into view. 

“Shepard. What have you got?” he asked expectantly. 

“Well, I just made a stop on Eden Prime like you requested, sir. And you’ll never guess what we found,” I waited a moment for emphasis, “A prothean.”

“A…. what?” his eyes grew wide. 

“A prothean. The last one. He call himself Javik, a commander from the Prothean’s war with the Reapers.”

“Can he fight?” 

“I don’t know. We got out of there pretty fast. I haven’t spoken more than a few words to him. I’ll have Liara talk to him. She knows more about the Protheans than me. I’ll send you the reports.”

“Very good, Commander. I ran the names you gave me through the systems,” he said hesitantly. 

“And?”

“Nothing there are no personnel by the names of Uriah Trevelyan, or Cassandra Pentghast. Nor are there any mentions of anyone matching your descriptions of Sera or Iron Bull.”

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, “I thought as much. Their psych evals and physicals came up above average. Well, except for Sera. She came up with a few little nervous ticks and attention issues, but other than that, by the Alliance’s standards, they are incredibly healthy…”

“So what are you saying, Commander?” he asked me. 

“Sir, I want to give them training. If they pass, maybe they could do some good in this war,” I tested. He rubbed his chin in thought and looked into the distance. There was an expansive silence that made me want to go insane from the suspense. 

“What kind of training?” he finally said. 

“Firearms, modern warfare tactics, armor, et cetera. The basics.”

“It would have to be on the Citadel. If something goes wrong, I don’t want it to happen in deep space,” he said. 

“Sir, I would oversee the training myself. I want to observe them, and I can’t take a week off to head to the Citadel. If they’re going to be aboard my ship I want them to at least be useful,” I said firmly.

“Commander—.”

“With all due respect, sir,” I interrupted, “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Maybe it was my tone, maybe my history. But all the Admiral did was raise his eyebrows and concede, with only a slight undertone of disapproval. 

“Thank you, sir,” I relaxed my shoulders. 

“Keep me posted, *Commander*,” he reminded me of my rank, “Hackett out.”

I saluted the man and turned on my heel when the display winked out. I walked through the War Room to the elevator in the CIC. I punched the destination in as ‘Crew Deck’ and the doors slid shut. 

As the elevator moved downward, I called, “EDI, ETA to the meet site?”

The Normandy’s VI replied, “About 90 minutes, Shepard.”

“Thank you,” I said as I stepped onto the deck. I walked straight to the observation deck and dismissed the armed guards. 

I disengaged the lock and stepped inside. Seeker Pentghast paced in front of the window and turned to face me. The Inquisitor seemed to be in the middle of another meditation session, while the other two were sprawled on either couch. 

“Good news!” I yelled. Trevelyan snapped around and Iron Bull and Sera came out of their stupor.   
“Shepard!”the Inquisitor said as she stood, “What did Admiral Hackett say?” Her freaky name thing still threw me for a loop. 

“You’ve been approved for combat training. I will over see it myself, as will some of my best arms, tech, biotic, and tactical specialists. For now, this observation deck will serve as your quarters. Ensign Grant will take you to the Requisition Officer and supply you with a uniform, fatigues, and basic commodities. The men’s and women’s showers are located on either side of the elevator, I recommend you use them before your training commences in the morning.”

“Thank you, Commander. For giving us a chance,” Cassandra said with a very thick accent (the reports said that she was from a place called Nevarra). I nodded and saluted them. None of them returned the gesture except for the Seeker. 

I turned on my heel and exited the room. They had a long way to go before they knew the routine around here, and I was hoping that the crew would receive them well. We were a close-knit family, for the most part. All of the tragedy we faced together built up a network of trust of each other and suspicion of outsiders. 

They old earth cliché goes: ‘pick you battles,’ right? Well, I had terrible taste.


	10. Training Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uriah's POV 
> 
> Longish chapter, 2 parts
> 
> If you have ANYTHING you want to say, feel free to comment.

I have never been more confused in my life. 

What is a shower? I mean, besides rain showers? When I asked for a bath, the ensign looked at me like I was speaking a different language. He then proceeded to hand me my standard supplies from the Quartermaster (which these people called their Req Officer) and steered me toward the women’s shower room. 

I must have fumbled and stared at the knobs and nozzles for ten minutes before another woman came in. I watched her while I pretended to have just arrived, and I turned completely red when the first thing she did was strip to the skin. Maker give me strength….

“Can I help you?” she said. I realized I had been staring and coughed. I rubbed my hand across the back of my neck and looked at my feet. 

“I— ah, I— do you— well,” I stammered like, like…. well, rather like Cullen. 

“Oh! You’re her! You're the cr—,” she cleared her throat, “you’re the prisoner!” I realized she sounded quite a bit like me. 

“Yes. News travels fast here, I suppose,” I chuckled. My eyes were still averted.   
“Oh, you have no idea…,” she stopped, waiting for a name. 

“It’s Inquisitor, I suppose you may call me Trevelyan or Uriah,” I said. 

“Right,” she looked me over. Which, may I just say, made me rather uncomfortable, “I’m Samantha Traynor, sort of the Comm Specialist on the ship. I’ve heard a lot about you, Inquisitor.”

“I, uh, can’t say the same,” I couldn’t take it anymore, “So sorry, do you think that you could put on some clothes?”

“What? Oh!” she nonchalantly picked up a towel to oblige my request but she looked strangely at me, “Are they more prudish in your time?”

“You could say that, yes,” I rubbed the back of my neck again and quickly moved it away when I realized that I was picking up Cullen’s habit. 

“Well, you need to shower sometime, Trevelyan,” she scoffed, “and you’re not going to get very far if you curl right up every time another woman comes in here.” Traynor’s matter-of-fact tone rather surprised me. It had been a long time since someone spoke to me like that, and while I didn’t like it, it was good. I was in a different time and needed to be made aware of their customs. 

I heaved a heavy sigh, “I suppose I’m not going to get very far if I don’t know how these showers of yours work, either.” I laughed to lighten the mood and she laughed with me. In efforts to show that I learned my lesson, I shrugged off my own towel and underclothes while she showed me how each nose worked.

After she helped me, she stepped into her own stream of water and continued to lather her hair with the scentless soaps we were all supplied. Maker, I missed my luxurious copper tub. It was my one Orlesian indulgence. I didn’t have an outlandish wardrobe or expensive taste in jewelry or food or have any distaste at spending time in the tavern, but every night, I slipped into my scalding bath until my skin was almost ready to split open like a tomato. 

So, I turned the temperature nozzle to the highest setting and allowed the near-boiling water pour over my body. I saw Traynor’s eyes bug out of her head. 

“You have that all the way up?” she exclaimed. 

I looked at her with raised eyebrows, “Of course! I love the heat!”

“Oh! Of course! I’m the crazy one here!”

I laughed at the other woman, “I have my quirks, you have yours.”

“Is one of those quirks a third-degree burn kink?”

We laughed and joked together for quite some time before the computerized voice told us our water rations were up. the water shut off and I grabbed my towel. I pulled on my underclothes and fatigues, said goodbye to Samantha, and returned to the observation deck. Sera and Cassandra sat in complete silence at opposite ends of the room… they didn't get along very well. 

My hair was still wet when I sat on the couch in the corner. There was a cot for each of us set up in the corners of the room, Sera’s was obviously by the bar. Mine was near to Cassandra’s in view of the large window. I sat cross-legged on my cot and dried my hair with a labored and gentle heat from my hands. Never before had this simple act caused me to be so tired. I was almost completely drained of energy and I realized that it was a very good thing that we were receiving alternate training, because I couldn’t use magic here in the midst of battle. 

I lay down on my cot with a sigh and looked at the ceiling. Just thin morning, I had read a letter from Cullen about his nightmares and how Skyhold fared without me. I thought about how long it would be before I saw him again… I knew he would be worrying himself to death. Its what he did, he wanted to keep everything safe. I loved him for it. He always gave of himself to the very bone, and he gave all he had to the Inquisition. 

Cassandra suddenly stood, “I cannot take this anymore. I need to do something!” 

“Go take a shower,” I said, “And you can take off your armor, Cass.”

“Maybe I will. I do not know. I wish…,” she trailed off. 

“That you had your books? Trust me, with this training we’ll have plenty to do,” I consoled my dear friend. I thanked the Maker that she was with me. Cassandra was a constant in my life; it was her who I went to for advice and to confide in. She was like a sister. 

“Yes. I must say I am interested to see what kinds of combat they indulge in, here.”

“Of course you are!” Sera called from across the room, “I guess there’s one thing we have in common there. We both have nothing to do.”

I shook my head and laughed, “Sera, you should take a shower, too. I can smell you from here! Besides, I think you’ll enjoy how they shower here!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see.”

Cassandra looked at me strangely and I just shot my head. I knew she would have a myocardial infarction from the dress code, but Sera wouldn’t mind. 

“Just go, please,” I said with a chuckle, “You need to get out of this room!”

They grabbed their fatigues and toiletries and exited through the sliding door. I was finally alone, with Bull exploring the ship. Maybe I would go to sleep… what time was it anyway? With no sun in the sky, I had no idea, and the numerical system they employed made little sense to me. 

So, I slipped into a deep sleep, filled with dreams and nightmares both of what I left behind. 

 

 

I was back there. That imagined hell that I prevented, but still plagued my every thought. Redcliffe. I was pulled through the wormhole with Dorian and spit out in the dark room. I was back there. Maker help me, I never wanted to see it again. I saw Leliana suffering her torture; I saw her sunken eyes, her pallor, and her bony body. She had grown cruel and harsh like the rest of the world. I lived through seeing Sera and Cassandra and Bull infected by the red lyrium almost beyond recognition and looking at me as if I were a ghost…

But the memory that terrified me most of all was seeing Cullen as one of…. them. As a red templar. The red crystals grew from his chest and face; he carried an evil, foreign aura about him that brought tears to my eyes. Alexius, or Samson, or Corypheus had tortured him and forced him back in to the shackles that he fought so long to break free from. I killed him in that future. I had to.

I shuddered and sat up in my cot. There was a banging at the door. I scrambled to get up and answer the call, but I fell flat on my face. I heard Bull get up and step over me. The door slid open and the ensign that I elbowed in the nose stood on the other side. 

He looked distastefully at me and said to Bull, “You are to accompany me to the shuttle bay.”

“Ah shit. I forgot about that,” Bull said. He rubbed a hand across his forehead and grumbled, “Give us a few minutes to get our shit together.”

“Now,” the ensign said forcefully. Cassandra and Sera were on their feet, now, and Sera was not having any of it. 

“Listen, you tit. I don’t know who you think you are, but I ain’t gettin’ up at what ever time it is so I can go and shoot something. Go and tell that to her Highness.”

The ensign furrowed his brow and stood to full height, “The commander authorized the use of force to get you to attend training,” he warned. 

I was on my feet now and moved to stand between the two parties. I really didn’t want to get up and do anything either, but I wasn’t the woman in charge anymore. 

Turning to my party, I held up my hands, “We don’t have the power, here. It’s better to just listen to them, for now.”

Sera started to protest, but Cassandra cut her off, “We are ready now.” I had to admire Cassandra, she was all business. 

With more than a small amount of protest from Sera, we followed the soldier to the elevator and waited as he punched a button on the display. The doors slid closed and the lift began to move down. It was a remarkable technology they had here. 

The doors slid open and I was back to the first room I saw on this ship: The Shuttle Bay. Not many people mingled around the room now, however. In fact, there were only three: Shepard, the creature she called Garrus Vakarian, and the muscular human man who was with her in her cabin. 

“Fall in line!” she barked. Cassandra and Bull stood at attention, and I copied their posture, but Sera flat out refused. Shepard eyed her and stepped in front of her. 

“I gave you an order, soldier,” she growled. 

“I know. I’m choosing to ignore it,” Sera sneered. I was sending her mental messages,  ‘Not the time, Sera. *Not the time*.’

Shepard got dangerously close to her face, “You’re in my house now, and you will follow my orders. I do not tolerate insubordination.”

“Too bloody bad,” Sera answered cockily. 

Faster than a snake Commander Shepard took hold of the from of Sera’ shirt jerked the elf toward her until their noses were millimeters apart, “What was that, soldier?”

“I said: Too. Bloody. Bad. And I’m not a soldier. I’m me. I don’t answer to anyone, understood?” Sera snarled. She shook herself free and stared at the Commander. Hoo boy, this was messy. 

“Push earth,” Shepard shouted. 

“What earth? All I see is cold floor!” 

“If you won’t, then everyone else will. On your faces!” she ordered the rest of us. Again, Bull and Cass knew what that meant. They got into a plank position and began doing push-ups. I followed suit. We must have done hundreds before Shepard let up. 

Shakily, I got to my feet and felt the sweat rolling off of my back and face. I stood at attention again and waited. 

“We have to get moving. I assume that none of you have held a weapon before, so we’ll start with showing you the basics.”

She held up a small cannon, “This is s pistol. It is used for close quarters combat.” She proceeded to disassemble it and show us each part. Then, she effortlessly put it back together. 

“You! Seeker! Get up here,” Garrus said loudly. Cassandra strode forward and stood in front of the weapons bench, “I want you dissemble and re-assemble this weapon as fast as you can.” Cass picked up the pistol and took it apart. She fumbled with it at first, but as she moved on, she was smoother. When all the parts were spread across the table, she began to put together again. 

“Now the rest of you,” he said. We all approached the bench and, with fascination, worked with the guns countless times until we could do it with our eyes closed. The man, whose name I learned was Lieutenant Vega, showed us four other kinds of weapons (submachine huns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and shotguns) and how to dissemble and reassemble them. 

It took hours. The monotony of it all almost put me to sleep. I found it much more interesting to spar and practice with my staff than this. No wonder everyone here was so frigid, they had to do this all the time. 

The others were visibly bored too. Their movements became sloppy and labored, which just meant more and more reps. 

Finally, I had enough. I slammed the sniper rifle on the bench and faced the Commander, “If you’re going to train us, train us. Don't take up our time with these trivial tasks. We’re wasting time,” I gestured to empty space, “While we’re doing this, people are dying and I’d rather stop it sooner rather than later.”

I saw the Lieutenant smirk, “Hoooo, damn Lola, we got ourselves a live one!”

Shepard smiled at me, “While I understand your frustration, you must realize that you have to know your weapon before going into battle.”

I sighed. This was the most frustrated I’ve been in a while, “I think we get it!” I snapped. 

“I know. But you’ll keep going until you can do it with your eyes closed,” she stared cooly at me, “Well, get going, if you thing you know it so well.”

“Fine.” I took my place behind the bench and closed my eyes. With a sense of precision, I began to dissemble the weapon and place each piece in the spots I had designated. I could see the parts laying on the table because they had been burned into my memory. I quickly put the parts back together. When I felt the full weight of the rifle in my hands, I opened my eyes and set it down on the table. 

“Is that good enough for you?” I bowed mockingly. 

The Commander smiled unsettlingly at me, “Excellent. You’re getting there,” she looked at the others, “Now it’s their turn.”

One by one, my companions went through the routine one more time. And then another time just to make sure it wasn’t blind luck. 

“Good. Same time tomorrow. Dismissed.” 

Bull narrowed his eyes, “What, that’s it?” 

“For today,” Garrus said. 

With a scoff, Bull shook his head, “We’re not greenhorns, you know. We can take longer hours than you think. How ‘bout you give us a challenge?”

The three looked at each other and laughed. Garrus turned to the massive qunari fearlessly and said, “Oh you want a challenge! C’mon, big guy, lets see how you are hand-to-hand.”

Now it was our turn to laugh. Bull stepped forward, “Please, I’d eat you for lunch, bird man.”

Garrus cocked his head to the side, “Fine, you overgrown klixen, let’s go.”

Shepard stepped in, “Ah, ah, ah. Let’s hold off on the full contact until after they’ve completed weapons training, shall we?”

“Wouldn’t want to break his wing,” Bull said. 

“Bull, watch it,” I warned. 

The turian was about to snap back with something but I pointed a finger at him, “You too. Make a move on my men and you’ll have to deal with me.” For emphasis, I let a small spark fly from my finger in warning. 

“Hold on,” Vega shook his head, “You’re biotic?”

“What? No! I’m a mage!” I said, “I told you this!”

“No, you told me that,” Shepard said. 

I shrugged, “It doesn’t matter anyway, I can’t use it in a battle anyway because of the Veil.”

"The what?" Vega asked. 

"The Veil. It's-- you know, I'll tell you what. How about I tell you about it over an ale or something?" I said exaggeratedly. I really was not in a good mood at the moment. Certainly not enough for a lecture on the lore of the Fade. Andraste's ass, I wasn't Solas. 

"Well, that may be a problem..." Sera chuckled to herself. 

It was so not the time. We all looked at her with narrowed eyes.

She shrugged, "For one, they don't 'ave ale here, just a bunch of fruity shite. Another, I may or may not have drank most of the liquor..."

"That was *you*. Damn, I've known bigger people than you that would have died!" the Lieutenant exclaimed. 

Sera shrugged like it was nothing.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Anyway, if I'm going to find alternate methods, I'd rather learn them sooner rather than later."

“Then it’s a good thing you’re here,” the Commander said. She stepped close to me and looked into my eyes, “Don’t question my methods, Trevelyan. I’ve trained enough people to know what I’m doing, and I’m not going to change for you. So if you don’t like it, get used to it. Or take a trip out the airlock” She may have said my name, but it was as much aimed at Sera as me. 

After a long silence with out a protest, she barked, “Good. Dismissed,” and we left.


	11. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY that it has been such a long time! I have been so busy with the IB and exams and everything, and this just got pushed to the bottom of my list! As summer now approaches, will try to update more frequently, but I can make no promises...

Damn, that was the most ridiculous training session I have ever conducted. 

If the Inquisitor ran her armies and dished out orders to her followers, she sure did a shitty job because her followers are steeped in insubordination and disrespect to the very core. The elf absolutely refused to follow orders of any kind! The big qunari, Iron Bull, and the woman, Cassandra, were obviously military. And the Inquisitor herself, well… she’s like me: reluctant to take orders from anyone but herself. 

And I had to do it all again tomorrow. 

After taking a look at the galaxy map and checking our time until the summit station would be reached, I rode the elevator to my cabin. The door opened and I stepped over the threshold and directly to my desk. Picking up a data pad, I began to flip through a set of ground reports from Anderson and soon the minutes blurred together until I read pages and pages without absorbing a single byte of information. 

I pushed away from my desk and called out to EDI, “EDI, what’s Garrus doing right now?” 

“He is calibrating the Thanix cannon in the main battery,” she answered.   
“As always,” I sighed. I tried to stand but just collapsed back into my chair. 

“Shepard, may I suggest rest? Your cortisol levels are unusually high.”

“I’m fine,” I growled at the VI. 

“Very well,” she said. And then she was silent. I rolled my chair into the bathroom and pushed myself into leaning onto the counter and looking in the mirror. 

“Fffffuck,” I sighed, “I can’t keep this up… but I cant have another nightmare…” I splashed cold water over my face and sat back in the chair. Even awake, the voices from the dream ran through my head. I heard Ash the loudest. Calling my name with a sense of dread. I couldn’t run from it or fight it. So I put my head in my hands and waited it out. 

After a few minutes I heard the door slide open and hurried footsteps rush past my desk into my sleeping area. 

I called out, “I’m in here, Garrus.” He had a very distinctive gait. 

A grey-blue head poked through the doorway and he came to crouch next to me. I didn't move. I knew the speech that would come. 

He snuck a talon through my arms and pushed my head up from under my chin. I felt the chair move so I was facing him with no choice but to look him the eyes. 

Finally, after an eternity, he said, “When was the last time you slept?” 

I shrugged and tried to look away, but Garrus kept my jaw in place, “Shepard, answer me.”

“Mars…” I said weakly. 

“What?”

“MARS, ALRIGHT? I haven't slept since after Mars! I can’t, Garrus! I keep hearing their voices! Everyone who has died because of me. Whenever I close my eyes, I see them and hear them calling out to me and the only way to quell it is to stay awake!” Tears rolled down my face and Garrus’s face remained still, the bastard. Did Turians even know what comfort was?

His hand dropped away and moved to my shoulder.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked, “Have you tried sleeping medications? Or—“

I shook my head and cut him off, “I tried all of that. The dreams still come.”   
“Come here,” he said softly. I fell forward into his carapace and he wrapped his plated arms around my shoulders. And I cried. 

“EDI, how much time to the summit?” he asked. 

“Three hours and forty two minutes,” she said. 

“See? enough time for a quick nap.”

“Garrus, I—“

“Please try.”

Without waiting, he picked me up like in the old earth flicks and carried me to the bed. He laid me down and removed my boots. All the while I stared blankly at the ceiling as the stars moved past beyond the hull. 

He placed his forehead on mine and murmured, “I’ll stay with you.”

He stood and walked to the sofa. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But it wouldn’t come. I thought of the summit and of what I would say until finally my thoughts fell away. I was asleep. And that meant dreams… and that meant waking up again… 

The cycle continues. 

 

CULLEN………….

The Commander had scoured every inch of the Frostback basin. It had been a week since the disappearance, and he had scarcely slept more than an hour at a time. His tent was a mess of papers and maps and reports that told him uriah every step up until the Black Rift opened and she went through. 

He now sat with his head in his hands, fighting off a headache. He needed to find her. He needed to find her. He needed to —- 

“Commander? I have something that might interest you,” Dorian burst into the tent and drawled. 

Cullen glared at the table and turned slowly toward the Tevinter, “What?”

“Touchy, are we? Very well I’ll make this quick. I may have found a way to catch a glimpse of our dear Inquisitor’s location.”

Cullen stood from the table with an open mouth, “How?” he whispered. 

“Come with me,” with a flourish, Dorian swept through the flaps. Cullen sighed, he hated the other man’s grandstanding, but he followed nonetheless. The Tevinter led him through the camp and to a small cabin near the far corner of the encampment. Wordlessly, the two men stepped inside and were greeted with both Professor Kerrick and Scout Harding. 

“Commander! We found this tome in an old Tevinter Ruin in the Basin. We thought you might take interest in,” she turned to a tabbed page, “This.”

The Commander took the old volume and read the page. It was a spell. For locating anyone through the Fade. His jaw dropped and he kept reading. But something was wrong. In the directions…. the spell called for… 

“Blood magic,” he closed his eyes and sighed. This was an answer, but Uriah would never forgive him for using it. 

“Commander, surely if there was a time to use such techniques, it would be now,” Dorian said. 

“This one time, there’s no objection from me about the use of blood magic,” Cullen stated evenly, “but thee Inquisitor would never forgive us.” 

“The Inquisitor doesn't have—“ the Professor began. Everyone else in the room glared at him, cutting him off. 

“I swear to the Maker, if you finish that sentence with: “to know” I will expel you from this encampment,” the Commander stated with a growl. 

Harding, attempting to diffuse the situation, explained, “There is nothing the Inquisitor does not eventually find out. She has made it a point to never keep secrets and in return, she asked us to never keep secrets from her. It is a system of trust and to break it would be to walk away from all she is.”

“But,” Dorian said, “If we want to get her back at all, this is the only way. Her anger is better than nothing at all.”

Cullen closed his eyes. This was the only way, he repeated over and over. He had to get her back. 

“Alright,” he bit out. 

Everyone looked at him. 

“Gather the materials needed. I want to carry on with this within the next week,” before any questions could be asked, he left the cabin with a loud bang of the door.


	12. Chapter 12

This ship is huge. I mean it. After being cleared, we were given limited reign of the ship and I took every opportunity to learn about this time from the crew. I had especially taken to the Lieutenant, who very much reminded me of Bull, and had been speaking with him about the war and such when he had the time. 

But otherwise I had dedicated myself to the library, or trying to, as the technology was beyond my level. Eventually, I was able to turn one on after tinkering with it for an hour or so only to find that it was in a foreign language. 

I slammed the tablet on the table in front of me and stood to pace the room. I didn’t know what to do! I was confined to the crew deck and shuttle bay, but everything of worth was on, what Vega called, the CIC. I tried to pry more out of him, but he was very careful not to say more that he was supposed to. 

So once more I sat in the crew deck at a table with my sketchbook and charcoal. Flipping through the pages, I reviewed all that I had drawn in it. It was one of many volumes and I had just started this one the evening before we left for the Basin, so there were only half a dozen finished sketches in it. 

There were a couple of Cullen, one of him working the other of him sleeping. I stared at the parchment with a private smile on my face and remembered that evening. If only I could see him once more… if only he were here. In that moment, I felt a disturbance in the Fade. It was strong, too. Meaning that it was two times as great beyond the thick Veil. I stood and closed my eyes, focusing on the Fade. I tried to peer beyond the fog canceling it from my view, but the effort was too great. I flopped back into the chair and sighed. If something was wrong, I couldn’t do anything about it… and it killed me. 

“What’s good, hermana? You look upset,” Vega sat in the chair across from me with a heaping plate of food. 

“I,” I shook my head, “It’s nothing.”

“Yeah, sure. And there aren’t any Reapers trying to wipe out all traces of intelligent organic life from the galaxy.”

“I felt something in the Fade. I don’t know what it is, though… I’m worried something might be wrong.”

“I thought the Fade was closed off here?” Vega stared back at me. 

I look back and furrowed my brow, “It is. Well, I mean, the Veil is thick… Think of it as a really heavy curtain or…,” I motioned my hands in thought trying to conjure a better metaphor. 

“An Iron Curtain?” Vega supplied. 

I snapped my fingers, “Yes! Think of an Iron Curtain between this world, the waking world, and the dream world. Very hard to push aside, no?” I paused, “Now, back in my dimension, that Iron Curtain is more like gauze. Meaning it takes very little effort to move it. Meaning it is easier to cast spells by drawing on magic from the Fade, but there is also a greater chance for tears in the Veil,” I carefully explained. 

“Like, uh, that Breach thing you were telling me about?” he said through a mouth full of food. 

“Yes. Here, there is very little chance to open it at all. Even with this,” I held up my hand, “Its going to take a massive event to melt the Iron Curtain enough to push my way through.”

“Like firing the Crucible,” his eyes grew in understanding and I smiled widely. 

“Exactly, thats why—“ I stopped and crumpled in my seat, “Ah! Shit! Shit! Maker’s balls!”

“What is it? DOC!” he called. I rubbed my temples as the feeling from before returned at full blast and coursed through my mind. Black spots danced at the edge of my vision and I fell to the floor. People rushed around me, blurred and muddled together. Maker, this was bad. Something was very wrong. Very, very wrong. 

I fell into unconsciousness quickly en route to the ward. 

But then I dreamt. Not like before… more vividly. Was *in* the Fade. Or at least my spirit was.   
I was back on the battlefield and I collapsed on the ground. Pushing myself onto my elbows I looked around. The sky was blue again, but everything was smudged, like the edges of a watercolor painting that someone had spilled water on. 

All at once heard a gasp from behind me and I felt arms pulling me up. I looked at the face and saw Dorian holding my shoulders. I rushed all of a foot into a tight embrace that lasted for awhile until he cut it off. 

“My dear, we haven’t much time. There are things I must ask you.” 

“Anything. But first, where’s Cullen?” I looked over his shoulder. 

“He is safe in the Basin. He came looking for you.”

“No, my love,” I said to myself, “He worries himself into a mess.”

“Trust me I am aware,” he pursed his lips, “Now, where are you, Uriah?”

After a moment, “I— you’re not going to believe this— I’m in a whole other dimension. Dorian, I’m on a spaceship! Among the bloody stars!”

“You’re right, I don’t believe it,” he shook his head, “How?”

“The rift absorbed the God spirit of Hakkon and corrupted the rift.”

“Why didn’t it happen with Corypheus?”

“One is not a God by their own decree.”

“Ah,” he looked down, “Have you thought of a way to get back?”

“Dorian, the Veil is so thick there that I can hardly light a torch with magic. It’s like an Iron Curtain.”

“Shit.”

“I agree. I may have thought of something, though. They are fighting a war there against these monstrous things called the Reapers and have a weapon they call the crucible. It is supposed to be able to tear the lives of the Reapers away when fired.”

“And you’re thinking that this will…”

“Tear open the fade by force and close when it is finished. Hopefully, I’ll have a window to get back through.”

Dorian nodded in thought, “What if this doesn't work? I mean, what even are the Reapers?”

“I don’t know what we’ll do, Dorian, my friend. But the Reapers, they are some kind of Gods from the Fade. Nothing can be so powerful and ancient to surpass all known record.”

“Uriah—,” I stopped him with a hug. 

“Dorian, this will work.”  
“But what if it doesn’t?”

“Keep looking for alternatives. If you can figure out how to communicate with me like this, then there has to be a similar magic to bring us through completely.”

He looked away from me and shifted. 

I peered at him suspiciously, “Dorian. What means of magic is this? Tell me it’s not,” I paused as he looked up guiltily, “Blood magic. Damnit, Dorian!”

“What were we supposed to do? We have to get you back!” his voice shook. I put a hand to my brow and scrubbed it down my face. 

“How much?”

“What?”

“How much blood did the spell call for?” I asked. 

“Only the spell caster’s. Me. None others’,” he said. 

“And what demon did you deal with?” 

“Spirit, actually, by Solas’s definition. A spirit of Wisdom,” his brow furrowed, “Please, you must understand. If— If Cullen went missing you’d do the same thing!”

He was right of course. I would betray everything I stood for to save Cullen. 

“Get it done, Dorian. In one month’s time, preform the spell again. I will tell you of our progress, then,” I said. 

“I will, I—,” Dorian flickered and began to fade away as I began to see glimpses of the medical ward on the Normandy. 

“Dorian!! Dorian, tell Cullen I love him! Dorian!” I yelled. 

“Uriah!” His disembodied voice called, “I will! Tell Bull—,” and that was all. 

I shot up with a gasp and was me t with gentle hands easing me back onto the table. 

“Inquisitor! Are you well? What happened?” Cassandra questioned. 

“It was Dorian!” I gasped, “Dorian he… Maker! They got through!”  
“What? What did he say?” Bull pushed his way next to me through the Doctor and Vega. 

“He said they’re looking for us, he asked where we were.” I answered. 

“How?” Cassandra said. 

“They found a spell,” I answered, “Blood magic, granted, but a spell.”

“Fuuuuck,” Sera groaned, “They’re turning to blood magic…. not good, not good.”

“I agree, but it got through the home Veil and this Veil, so if it means we can get home I’m personally okay with it.”

“Agreed,” Bull said shakily. 

“Bull, Dorian wanted me to tell you he loved you,” I said quietly. 

“He would. My Kadan…. I’ll be with you soon,” he said to nothing and to everything. 

“That’s what it was, the Veil snapped open so suddenly that I black out…” I pushed myself up and walked to the door. 

“Inquisitor,” the Doctor called incredulously after me, “Where do you think you’re going? I’m not finished with you!”

I turned int he doorway, “Doctor,” I breathed in and smiled, “I’ve got work to do,” and the doors slid shut behind me.


	13. Fight Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for putting this over 400 hundred hits!! I can't believe it!
> 
> Feel free to follow my tumblr, khalfrodo !!

“The damn meeting was a disaster, sir,” I almost shouted at Admiral Hackett’s holographic figure. 

“Settle down, Commander,” Hackett barked, “This may be a war that would be lost without you, but that does not excuse insubordination. Do you understand me?”

I stiffly nodded and backed away from the console I had been leaning on. The newcomers were rubbing off on me. 

I stood at attention and faced the console, “Sir, we have no immediate promises of support for Earth.”

“Immediate?” he asked

“The Asari and Salarians have flat out refused to aid in any way before their own planets are safe and can pledge no forces. The Turians and Krogan have requested certain services before they will turn over parts of their armies to Earth. The bulk of these are based out of Tuchanka.”

“Such as?” 

I turned and looked out into the war room, the Primarch and Wrex were working separately and at a distance, obviously avoiding each other. I didn’t want any word to spread to anyone else. 

“EDI, close the door,” I said quietly, and my line of sight was cut off by the metallic plating, “There is a Krogan female on Sur’Kesh that is necessary to cure the Genophage.”

“Cure the…,” he started, “Commander, did I hear you correctly?”

“You did, Admiral. It was one of the conditions of the Krogans.”

The Admiral rubbed his forehead, “We don’t have the resources to engineer something like this, Shepard. You know we can’t spare the men. And what about the Turians? If we put the cure into place then they’ll contest and we’ll lose the fleet.”

“Not after you hear this,” I paused and lowered my voice, “A very long time ago, in the Krogan Rebellions, the Turians planted a bomb on Tuchanka. A security measure, powerful enough to wipe out a good portion of the planet…” I trailed off, my throat tight as I thought of all the lives that were depending on me. Half of the planet of Tuchanka, which I am well known on due to killing the thresher maw in Grunt’s coming-of-age ceremony (the name eluded me), was depending on me. If I failed this mission, not only they would die, but he countless people on Earth and Palaven who needed the Krogan ground forces. It was too much pressure for one person. Too much….

“Commander?” the Admiral checked in to make sure I was still all there. 

“Sir, the Reapers are after it,” my voice began to reflect my internal monologue and I cleared my throat to replace my tough exterior, “Primarch Victus sent his own son after it to diffuse it, but they aren’t reporting in. He wants me to find them and report back with news of a diffused bomb in exchange for the Fleet.”

“My God,” he said, “It’s funny…” he mumbled. 

I furrowed my brow, “Sir?”

“Everything comes back to bite the whole galaxy in the ass…” he shook his head, “Get it done, Commander, you know the cost,” scrubbing a hand over his face, Hackett stood at attention and saluted and I returned the gesture, “Forgive my dismal posture, Commander. I have the utmost confidence in your abilities, it’s just that I find it hard to believe that even in wartime races can commit mass genocide in the name of justice…” 

“Agreed,” I said quietly. 

“Hackett out,” he said. The Holograph winked and faded. My head dropped and I felt a hot tear drip down my face. 

“Si saxum hunc mundum oportet proficiscantur,” I whispered. *Though the world about me crumbles, I must march on.*

“Commander?” EDI’s voice rang over the speaker. 

“Yeah,” I coughed, “Yeah, EDI patch me into the bridge.”

“Of course.”

“Joker?” I called out. 

“What’s up, Shep?” I said. 

“Set a course for Sur’Kesh. Inform me when we are an hour out.”

“Yes ma’am, plotting a course for Sur’Kesh. ETA 6 hours.”

“Good,” I said, “Shepard out.” I strode through the the War Room past the questioning looks of Wrex and Primarch Victus. I am sure neither of them missed the closing door during my report to Hackett. Besides, I was royally not in the mood to deal with political bullshit. 

I let my feet carry me to the elevator as I began to plan out who and what I would take on this mission. Wrex insisted on coming, which I was unsure about due to his history with Salarians, and perhaps I would bring Javik to give him another trial in the field. Which left me two open slots. Obviously one would need to be Garrus to handle any tech problems. Leaving a need for biotics…. if only Kaidan was here to fill his usual position… 

It was my fault. I was too hard on him; he was distracted after I yelled at him for questioning my loyalties even after all that had happened. …No, that’s not fair. Kaidan was an excellent soldier. He wasn’t going to slip up just because he got his feelings hurt. If it was anyone’s fault, it was Cerberus. The Illusive man. And I swear to whatever higher power is out there kicking its feet back while the galaxy goes to shit, if Kaidan didn’t make it, I was going to kill the Illusive man myself. 

The elevator doors opened into the shuttle bay and I walked to my armor locker to begin my pre-mission rituals of triple-checking my mods and armor and making sure everything was ready to go based on the reports off the surface of Sur’Kesh. 

I pulled out the Mattock and The Spike Thrower and placed them on the weapons bench. These were my go to’s. Sometimes I would bring along a Black Widow, but based on the blueprints I wouldn’t need it. 

I had all of the mods pulled out and was cleaning the weapons when I noticed there was a suspicious silence where Vega used to be. Moving to investigate, I saw that James had moved out of his cubby hole and was sparring with… the Inquisitor, it looked like. 

Trevelyan had changed into a set of Alliance fatigues and had her hair up in a tight bun, revealing a crescent tattoo under her left eye and a series of long scars up and down her arms. Under the tight cotton shirt of the uniform, I could see her muscled form that spoke of her experience in combat and her extensive training. 

Not only that, her movements were amazingly fluid as she dodged Vega’s hits. For a while I was content to watch. 

James and Uriah circled around each other, watching each others’ movements. Uriah stepped forward and turned to deliver a roundhouse kick to Vega’s chest, or at least that was the goal. James caught her foot and turned it so she faced the other way. He bent her leg and swept the other so she was face-down on the ground. He dropped her leg and put a knee on the center of her back. 

But something was off. Uriah had furrowed her brow and closed her eyes. I didn’t know what was happening. Without her even moving, James had been been pushed to the side and was flat on his back. Uriah laboriously got to her feet and stood again and waited for James to get up himself. 

“What the hell was that?” he laughed in amazement. 

“My back up plan,” she smiled broadly,” Im used to distanced combat with magic. Recently, I’ve taken up the mantle of Knight Enchanter, meaning I wield magical weapons like swords and suck but… if I am to fight in this realm, I must get used to this feeling of close quarters combat.”

“You can say that again,” Vega got back into position, “Let’s go again.” I must have watched for another 45 minutes before I they noticed me.  
“Commander, enjoying the show?” Vega waggled his eyebrows at me. 

I rolled my eyes and pushed away from the console, “In you’re dreams, Lieutenant.”

“Oh, you wound me!” he placed a hand on his heart and clutched his shirt.

“I don’t know I think Trevelyan’s handling that for me,” I laughed, turning back to the weapons desk. 

“Oh, like you could do any better against her Jedi mind-tricks!” he chided. 

Uriah looked positively befuddled by this phrase, “Jedi? What is that?”

I smirked and said, “We’ll get there, my young padawan,” dramatically cracking my knuckles, I stepped into the ring, “step back, James, let the big kids play.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, jefa,” he shook his head and leaned against a pile of crates to watch. 

“You speak in large words, Commander. Can you back them up I wonder?” By this point, we had gathered quite the audience. So, this comment earned quite a few “oohs” and “aahs”. 

“Quit stalling, Inquisitor,” I tested, getting into position. Across from me, she stood still, poised on her toes. She simply watched my posture and studied me. 

I lunged forward and aimed a blow at her right cheek, but she turned the blow aside, twisting my arm so that my palm was somewhere near my opposite shoulder blade. With a sharp shove, I was back where I started. 

“Yeah, get her, Quizzy!” it was that elf… the loud one. 

I began to circle her and she placed her hands behind her back and walked cooly with her chin in the air. She’s just putting on a show now, trying to display her authority. Not on my ship. 

This time it was her that ran at me. I readied myself to catch her and turn her aside, but she dropped into a slide aimed at my legs at the last second. I jumped to avoid the attack and turned to catch her as she got up. I pulled her palm up to her shoulder blade and kicked in her knees, forcing her onto her chest, being careful to resist her powers. 

I was kneeling with a leg on either side of her and a firm hold on her arm when she kicked her foot up into my back, causing me to loosen my grip. She writhed free and sprang to her feet, putting me at a distance. I followed and we now stood only a few feet apart, this time she stood ready. 

I smiled, “So tell me, Inquisitor, about your training.” I threw a quick series of jabs at her face, which she turned aside. 

“I was trained in the Ostwick Circle of Magi,” she jabbed at my face, I deflected it, “When my magic was discovered, my parents sent me away to protect their own interests,” another quick punch, “Needless to say, I haven’t talked to them for awhile.”

I planted a hit on her jaw and she shook it off, “I didn’t ask for your life story.”

“Fine, I trained under the Enchanters at the Circle,” she planted one right on my cheekbone, “while every moment being watched and protected, some would say abused, by the Templars. I would get into the politics of that, but I believe that is for another time.” 

I threw a punch and she deflected it, “Interesting,” I said. Trying to distract her, “How did you come to have a mark on your hand, then?” 

“Funny story, that,” she landed a hit on my jaw, “False gods, darkspawn magisters, genocidal maniacs… and that’s just one guy.” I hit her in the side of the face, then brought the same elbow across her side, knocking the wind out of her. I used the opportunity to flip her over my back, just like I had Vega. 

“Yeah,” I responded, “Tell me about it.” I offered my hand and she took it. 

“You fight well, Commander,” she said. 

I smirked and turned back toward the weapons bench shouting, “Show’s over, back to work!” The crowd dispersed and I heard Uriah’s jaunty gait following not far behind. 

“Commander,” she said once I had resumed my work, “I must tell you something. I figured out a way to get back.”

“You did? Excellent,” I nodded. She proceeded to tell me that the firing of the Crucible would be a massive enough event to bring her through the Veil, and I felt my brow furrow. 

“What?” she stopped to ask. 

“If you want to be there when it fires, you’ll need to be ready. And based on what I’ve seen, I don’t know if we’re cohesive enough to be in a combat situation together.”

“Cohesive?” she gaped, “What in the Maker’s bloody name is that supposed to mean?”

I slowly and deliberately set down the Mattock before me and turned to face her, staring intensely into her eezo colored eyes, “It means, Inquisitor, that I do not appreciate your attempts to make me appear the fool in front of my men.”

I saw her jaw clench, “I beg your pardon, it was not I who requested to fight with you.”

“Trevelyan, I’m not an idiot. Your posture completely changed between me and Vega,” I straightened up to my full height, “You can can command however much you want back home, but this is my ship, and I am its Commander. This fact will not change.”

“Commander, you mistake my intentions. I wished to see if the teacher learned from her own lessons,” she straightened up as well (and much to my dismay, I found that she was a good deal taller than me) , “If I am to be at the Crucible with you, I kinda request that our training be more frequent. We can handle it.”

“I don’t have the time.”

“You don't have to lead them,” she countered. 

“Yes I do,” I said, “If your going to fight at my side, I want to hold witness to your progress,”

“Do you not have reports? This is is a matter that can be delegated! Or do you just wish to keep me here?”

“Inquisitor, enough! What reason would I have for such things? I barely know you!” I whispered angrily. 

“Not in this realm, on this deck. I can help you, you know. These beings, the Reapers. You may think them mere machines, but I know them to be gods.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Let me onto the CIC and I’ll tell you,” she smirked. 

“No,” I said. 

“Very well, Commander Shepard. But my knowledge of these beings is very valuable. I’ve defeated likened spirits before. The very being who corrupted the Rift that brought me here was a god such as these,” she paused, “His name was Hakkon, but in this time I believe he goes by another name: Harbinger.”

“How did you learn that name?” I said quietly. 

“I had a vision, Shepard. I saw how to defeat them,” the corner of her mouth twitched downward. No one would normally notice it, but I was trained by N7 to spot little tells like that for interrogation. She didn't know jack shit, “Let me onto the CIC so I can help you. Please, I have almost as much a reason to defeat these vile creatures as you. What harm can it do?” “Probably a lot, if I’m being honest,” I sighed, “The best I can to is for you to shadow an officer. That means *you are never unattended*, do you understand?” She relaxed and nodded, “Thank you, Commander.” “Don’t thank me yet. This still needs to go through the higher ups.” What harm could it do? If anything she could eventually come up with something. And if she ended up shadowing me then I could just keep a closer eye on her. I poured over the holo tapes from Chakwas’s Q and A session when I was supposed to be sleeping. Her face was stone solid. She wasn’t lying about it like she just lied about the vision, so I doubted she could do any harm. “Hurry, Commander. If I am right, your first chance to defeat one of these is coming,” she paused with a worried look on her face, “very soon.”


	14. Tuchanka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Check out the end of the last chapter for a few edits.

Maker, how long would this take? Shepard has been running missions for the past week! And she refused to allow training when she was not there! There had only been a few lessons on marksmanship that became very easy after 20 minutes. It would not be long, either, before she figured out that I lied about the vision. Meaning I would have to spend a lot of time in meditation to try and delve something out of the fade. 

I had been holed up in the Life Support area for hours and hours at a time, emerging for breaks and meals to allow my mana to recharge. It was absolutely exhausting. 

The second day of this cycle, I dragged myself to the galley and walked to the kitchen. Taking a packet I remembered from the rounds of taste-tests Vega put me through (let me tell you, the Alliance military was not as kind to their soldiers’ stomachs as the Inquisition), I added hot water and waited. I re-opened the packet and ate it slowly. It was…. hard to stomach. 

Before long, James sat across from me. 

“So, hermana, you’ve been pretty elusive the past few days,” he stopped noticing the bags under my eyes and the pallor of my skin, “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fine James,” I sighed, “I’ve been meditating trying to reach the Fade and find out a way to fight these gods, but, unlike at home, I need Lyrium… but where the hell am I going to get it?”

“What’s lyrium?” the Lieutenant shook his head. Sometimes I forgot that I was in a whole different universe. 

“It’s a power source,” I explained, “If you take it, it restores your power. Templars take it to give them powers to fight magic like mine and keep us in check. I take it to boost my magical power… like a quick way to speed up cool down times, I suppose. Almost like…,” I struggled to find a suitable analogy, “replacing a Lancer’s heat clip rather than waiting for it to regenerate.”

“Oh!” he smirked, “Now you're speaking my language, chica.”

“It’s blue and its… alive. Its hard to explain, but it can become infected and sick and turn red and corrupted.”

“So what happens when that is consumed?” he leaned in on his elbows. 

“Nothing good,” I shuddered at the memory, “It turns people into evil shadows of their former selves. We call them the Red Templars. Before the Order was absorbed into the Inquisition, there were pockets of rebels that took the stuff for its potency and power. It was introduced by an envy demon posing as the Lord Commander.”

After a stretch of silence, “Demon? What do you mean… like… *demon* demon?”

I nodded solemnly, “An innocent spirit of the fade summoned into this world by a foolish mage… twisted by the desires of men and turned vicious,” I shuddered at the memory, “When I went to confront the Lord Commander, it… got inside my head and tried to become me. I still have nightmares of the images it showed me. I saw myself— or the demon, rather— committing atrocious acts… anyway, its in the past. That is behind me.”

Vega was staring at me with giant eyes, “You mean to tell me that a demon got into your head and was ripping it apart like a filing cabinet? That’s some heavy stuff.”

“Yeah, well… I’m here now.”

We ate in silence for awhile, and then I washed up my dishes and moved to go back to the Life Support room. However, Vega grabbed my elbow and spun me toward him. 

“Hey, from what it sounds like, that Lyrium stuff sounds a lot like something we have. Follow me.”

I rode the elevator down to the shuttle bay alongside of the restless Lieutenant. The massive man never seemed to sit still; he was bouncing on his toes, shaking a leg, or rolling his shoulders. And he surveyed a place for exits and dangers like any soldier would, never sitting with his back to the door. He was an impressive specimen, to be sure. 

The doors opened and James bounced forward toward the rear of the bay where there were crates stacked to 8 feet. He pulled down a smaller container and unlatched the end, pulling out a long, clear cylinder. Inside, there was a liquid colored bright blue and giving off a soft glow.

“What is this?” I asked, reaching to touch the tube. 

“It’s eezo,” he explained, “Our biotics use it to heal quickly and restore their energy. They can harness its power to mount attacks during combat.”

I felt my eyes widen of their own volition. This could be the trick…

“Do you have a laboratory I could use?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’ll have to clear it with the Commander though.”

My shoulders sagged. She wouldn’t want to help me…. not after I had studied her so during the sparring session. 

“Thanks, Vega,” I said, “I should catch some shut eye. Is there a way that I can be alerted when the ground team returns?”

“Yeah,” he looked up. “EDI?”

“Yes, Lieutenant?” the voice said.

“You hear what Trevelyan just said?”

“Yes, I will alert the Inquisitor once Shepard and her team return from the surface of Tuchanka. In the mean time, I suggest that you turn your attention to the live feeds from the ground, it would seem that Shepard is…. well you’ll have to see it to believe it, as the saying goes.”

Vega and I rushed to a console where EDI had pulled up a feed from Shepard’s helm. There was a massive Reaper guarding some structure. It seemed that it was their destination, but the massive machine was firing red beams at them, causing them to stay behind cover. 

“Maker, look at the size of that thing, it doesn’t even fit in the frame…” I breathed slowly. All around her, there were more of the mutated foot soldiers the Reapers called an army. The Commander fought valiantly, but anyone could see that she was growing tired. All of sudden ships swooped in and began firing on the Reaper. 

“Ha, the calvary has arrived,” Vega cheered, “The turians are pulling their weight,” then more seriously, he added, “I should be there.”

“Who is with her?” I asked to occupy him. 

“Besides Wrex, Mordin, and Eve, she’s with Garrus and Liara,” he answered curtly intently staring at the screen. Nothing more was said for some time while we watched Shepard summon some massive creature from the earth and continued to let it destroy the Reaper.

Shepard sent everyone else back to the ground ships and followed the Salarian scientist into the tower. 

But then…. the feed was cut. Everything went dark, “EDI, what the hell happened?” Vega called quietly, so no one wold come closer and crowd. 

“The feed has been cut. It would seem there is interference from an unknown source shutting me out. However, Shepard’s suit is still transmitting her vitals. Despite a slight elevation in her bpm and blood pressure, all is normal.” 

We stared at each other for a moment, “EDI! What about comm lines?” I called to the disembodied voice. 

“I can try and set up a connection, Uriah.”

I looked at James and sighed, “James, maybe its best if this was a private call.” 

“What the hell do you mean? She’s my commander!” his dark face screwed up. 

“Vega, two voices in her ear will not resolve the issue. I need to see if she’s making— that she doesn't do something stupid.”

“No, this is something that I need to talk to her about, too. You just got here, don't tell me that I can’t talk to my xo, more even, my friend.”

I closed and opened my mouth, like a fish out of water. I keep forgetting that I’m not the Inquisitor here, a mighty and unstoppable force. Only Uriah. Meekly, I followed James to a secluded comm console as EDI patched us through to Shepard. 

Her voice crackled over the comm line, “Mordin, think about this for a second, if you put that cure in there and let the sabotage run its course, then we get all of the salarian ships. Wrex won’t find out, and we still get the ground forces. If we win this, we can come back and say that there is a second round of vaccinations and administer the cure then.”

“Shepard, I am surprised,” I could hear the anger and betrayal in Mordin’s voice, “You would go back on your word for the promise of a few ships?” Vega gaped at the console, but I had no idea what was going on. 

“Mordin I’m—.“

Vega jumped in, “Commander, what the fuck do you think you're doing?”

“Vega? How did you get on this li—.”

“Listen to me, you gave your word to Wrex. He’s your *friend*, dammit! If you go back on that then your word is worth nothing. If you do this, I’ll tell him myself and then you’ll lose the turians and krogan,” he bit out. I looked at him with wide eyes, I didn’t think he was capable of such a thing: to present such extreme ultimatums. 

“You wouldn’t,” Shepard said weakly. He had her backed into a corner. 

“Commander,” Vega breathed heavily, “I would. Would you condemn a whole race?” he gave a cold laugh, “Well, any means to an end with you, right?” 

“Watch your tongue, Lieutenant! This is the only way to—,” she began. 

I jumped in, “To what commander?”

“Trevelyan,” from the sound of her voice, she did not expect me to be here, “What the— you know what, this is my decision, not yours. We need those ships and those scientists. Do you hear me?”

“Commander, in my experience, everyone can be reasoned with. But this decision will weigh on you heavier than anything you have faced. Even your decision to leave behind the Gunnery Chief. Trust me.”

There was a heartbreaking stretch of silence before she cut off the lines.

“EDI?” Vega tried to reopen the line, “What the hell happened where is she?”

“Commander Shepard has just boarded the shuttle and is presently returning to the ship—”

“Do you know if…” I began. 

“I only have sensors on the team’s suits, not on environmental probes, Inquisitor.”

I sighed and leaned on the console, “You don’t think…”

“Only one way to find out.”

 

….

 

“What do you mean, alternate dimension?” Cullen half-roared at Dorian. 

“That’s what she told me. And I saw it around her. She’s aboard a great metal ship flying among the stars. I know its hard to believe, but—“

“Hard to believe is a bit of an understatement, Sparkler,”Varric chime in, reeling.

“I do so very much agree, my dear,” Lady Vivienne said dryly, “but… Our Lady Inquisitor would not needlessly fling information.”

“If it was her at all,” Cullen shook his head.

“Oh it was her,” the Tevinter chuckled, “I would recognize her in the Fade any day. Remember: I was there with her.”

“So was I, but that doesn’t mean that she wasn’t a demon,” Varric reasoned. 

“No, I saw it was her. a demon could not recreate someone’s personality and being with such accuracy.”

Cullen shuddered. He did not know about that… the demon from the Ferelden circle did an impeccable job of recreating the likeness of Catherine Amell…

“In any case, how do we get her back?” he bit out. 

“Well,” Dorian began” *we* don’t. She said that she had to do it herself. Something about firing a crucible and tearing open the Veil. she told me that her magic is dangerously useless; their Veil is too thick, like an Iron Curtain, she said.”

“So you mean to tell me that we are to just sit here on our hands while… what? Did she say anything else?”

“She’s fighting a war against something called the Reapers. More gods like Hakkon.”

“Well, shit,” Varric kicked back, “That woman has the worst luck of anyone on this planet.”

Cullen felt weak. He couldn’t do that. Do nothing. The love of his life, the woman he hoped to make his wife was gone and he was told he could do nothing.

“Anything else?” 

“She said that we should do this again sometime,” Dorian paused to let that joke sink in, “In a month, to be more accurate.”

The Commander of the Inquisition pushed away from the table and scrubbed a gloved hand down his face. Maker, he thought, I need to sleep. Without a word he turned and left the tent, leaving behind the others with perplexed expressions and unanswered questions.


	15. And They Danced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this one is a bit long. Please feel free to message me with any concerns or things you would like to see happen.   
> I live to serve my readers.

I can’t believe I almost did that. That unspeakable, terrible, unforgivable thing. It was as though I was a completely different person in that moment. I had a gun trained on my friend, intent on continuing the mass genocide in the name of a few ships. If I lose my humanity while trying to save it then I have already lost this war. How could I have almost betrayed my friends?! Gone back on my word! 

I stood cleaning my armor and weapons beside Garrus after I assured Vega and the Inquisitor that nothing bad happened, speaking vaguely while in earshot of Garrus and Liara so they didn’t pick up on anything. I saw him visibly relax, but I didn’t think James would be as friendly as he had been before that moment. 

And the Inquisitor…. I could tell she was upset. No… more so disappointed, like a parent whose child wouldn’t share. But more even still, she looked haunted. She had said that she had made poor decisions before, and I wondered what that meant. 

“You all right, Cat?” Garrus interrupted my thoughts. Should I tell him, I thought, about that horrible thing I almost did? 

“Yeah, I’m,” I sighed, “I’m fine, Garrus. Just tired and a little sick and tired.”

“I don’t know I’d say that you have a cause to celebrate,” he took the role of a reporter, “Commander Shepard!! Commander Shepard! You’ve just resolved a centuries old conflict and brokered a peace between the krogan and turians! What are you going to do now?”

I smiled at the attempt to cheer me up. Resigned, I conceded to the chiding, “I’m going to Disney World.”

Garrus wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed his forehead to mine, “Is there anything I can do?”

“Oh, I can think of a few things,” I pushed him back toward the elevator. The adrenaline from the battle still coursed through his veins, and I could tell that he was feeling a little—

“Commander, the salarian councillor is on vid com for you. She says its urgent,” Traynor called. Once more, the moment was ruined. It happened without fail, too. With Kaidan and with Garrus both. 

“Okay,” I groaned, “I’ll be up in a minute.” I looked apologetically at Garrus and he shrugged. 

“Duty calls, Shepard. I’ll be on the crew deck once you're done up there,” he said. We rode up the elevator together, but I got off at the CIC alone. I walked through the scanners and stood in the comm room. The holo of the salarian councillor winked to life. 

“Commander Shepard, the council has received word of your activities on Tuchanka. Congratulations,” she said cordially. 

“Thank you, councillor,” I said, but my heart wasn’t in it. Not only that, but my experiences with the council were… touchy, at best. they had been especially irked with me after I told them to shove their SPECTRE reinstatement up their asses. Even Anderson was a little surprised with me. 

“Commander, I’ve found something about our mutual friend. I fear if you don’t stop him—“

“Ma’am, trust me the Illusive Man—.”

“Shepard, listen to me for once. It’s not The Illusive Man. It’s Udina. I don't have much time to explain. He’s been working with Cerberus, I have the files to prove it. And he’s going to be staging something. Very soon.”

I was quiet. Surely, Udina didn't mean to… “And what is it you want me to do, ma’am?”

“Get to the Citadel as soon as possible, Commander. You need to stop him before its too late.” Off screen, there was the sound of an opening door, “Over and Out.”

I turned on my heel, “EDI, did you get that?”

“Plotting a course for the citadel, Shepard. ETA two hours.”

I nodded, “EDI, tell Trevelyan and her crew to report to the shuttle bay. Garrus and James, too,” I called up. That was just enough time to get in a short sparring session. I had seen Trevelyan in action, but not the others, and I was eager to see them in action. Especially the big grey one. 

 

“Fall in!” Shepard yelled as she strode into the bay. I had been standing with my party accompanied by James and Garrus. It seemed that Bull and Garrus had gotten over their differences and were rather friendly; in fact, I often saw them laughing with a few crewmen over old war stories he had told a thousand times. Cass had been spending much of her time with the engineers and the Prothean, Javik, while Sera seemed to spend time with the woman from the showers… Traynor, was it? I frowned. I should be spending more time with my people, it seemed that I rarely saw them anymore.

I fell in line in-between Sera and Bull. Unlike last time, Sera begrudgingly stood at attention without protest. What the hell, I thought, she never did that for me…

“We have an hour and a half to see hoe you do in combat situations, so lets get things underway. Trevelyan, I’ve seen you fight, so we’ll save you for last. Why don't we start with the Seeker?”

Cassandra stepped forward into the ring to face the Commander herself, as I had. But, with her melee expertise, I had little doubt that she would emerge the victor. she certainly looked the part of the fighter. She was wearing Alliance fatigues not unlike Vega’s (right down to the skin tight shirt that displayed her chilled and battle-hardened figure). Her navy leggings began at her waist and ended in a pair of navy combat boots. 

Cassandra, ever the Seeker, bowed cordially as she did before any duel. Shepard quirked an eyebrow but soon returned the gesture out of respect. Cass and Shepard took position, with fists raised and weight on their toes ready to dodge. Shepard took the first swing, and Cass turned the blow aside with her forearm. Soon after, she sidestepped Shepard’s next blow and hooked her foot around the Commander’s ankle, dropping her on her back with a knee pressed to the patch of spine between her shoulder blades. 

Shepard smiled and scorpion a leg up around Cass’s shoulder and whipped her back. Shepard twisted and freed herself while Cass rocked to her feet. 

“Okay,” Shepard said, “you have a… different style than the Inquisitor.”

Sera, Bull, and I let loose a peal of uproarious laughter, “Commander,” Cassandra said in her cool Nevadan accent, “Uriah was trained as a mage, meant for distanced combat. Only recently did she take up the mantle of knight commander. I have trained as a warrior half of my life, melee combat is instinct.”

“Impressive,” Shepard nodded, “It shows.”

The few traded blows and had a few impressive moments, but the finale… that was something beautiful. Shepard bull rushed Cass, taking hold of her shoulders. Cassandra swept an arm across the other woman’s elbows, causing her arms to buckle. With the swiftness of a viper, Cass brought her elbow up to meet Shepard’s jaw. While she held her face, Cass snagged her free arm and flipped her over her back. When Cass offered her hand, the Commander knew she had beed defeated. 

“Excellent work, Seeker,” Shepard smiled, “It’s rare to find someone as skilled as yourself in combat. Consider me impressed.” Cassandra shook her hand with a word of gratitude and returned to her position in the line up. Shepard returned to her side as well, as she approached she was met with raised eyebrows and hushed conferences about Cassandra, most likely. 

“Sera! You're next,” Shepard barked. The Turian, Garrus, took up a spot across from Sera. This should be interesting. I had never seen Sera in close-quarters combat, as she preferred to stay at a distance with her bow. 

“All right, lets get this over with,” she said cheekily. Garrus took position and Sera stood oddly she kept her weight on her toes, but was crouched, her arms placed as though she was holding daggers. I blushed, but didn’t say anything I heard Cassandra sigh with discontent and mutter something along the lines of, “She is not holding weapons in her hands”; however, I noticed James and Shepard exchange condescending smiles. 

The five-foot elf circled with the seven-foot turian. Using his proportioning appropriately, Garrus opened by raising a knee that was supposed to meet Sera’s chin. But before it sent her sprawling, she flipped backward out of the way. Sera landed with her legs in a wide stance and the fingertips of her left hand acting as the third leg of the tripod. Her right fiddled with something at her belt and I saw her drop a smoke grenade to the ground in the center of the tripod. Shepard and James took a step back each. 

We were trained to spot shadowed rouges and knew where she was, and expected the turian to reel, but he seemed to track her perfectly. It must have been the blue screen covering one of his sunken eyes. Before sera could sweep behind him, he caught her by the ankle and sent her sprawling. She rolled and stared at the ceiling for a moment in thought before kipping to her feet.

I vaguely heard her mutter to herself, “All right, let’s try a little something new, birdy.”

She began an approach as though she were going to vault and leapt, she hooked a knee over his shoulder and then another. She latched her ankles together and used the momentum from the acrobatic execution to swing around him like a pendulum, throwing him off balance enough to send him to the ground. She dismounted with grace (an odd way to describe Sera’s movements) and landed on her feet. As the turian began to stand, Sera moved in to put him flat on his back. I saw his eyes shift and pulled her by the arm and twisted it just so, so that when she landed on her front, Sera’s arm was twisted and locked behind her, holding her in place. 

“Nice moves, twinkle toes, but smoke and mirrors only get you so far,” he said. I heard Shepard audibly groan. 

Sera got up, refusing the hand Garrus offered, and brushed herself off. She took her place. 

James stepped forward now, “Okay, big guy. It’s you and me.”

The Iron Bull walked into the circle and stood as one might expect, with fists raised. Looking at the two, I was not surprised to see that Bull greatly dwarfed the massive marine. After the first such was thrown and deflected, the rest of the match proceeded with out much flash. The two were locked in a stalemate for sometime, as they were both seasoned warriors. 

Finally, Bull rushed the Lieutenant and threw him on his back with a thick, heavy sound. 

“Ah, shit, that hurt,” Vega stood and shook out his shoulders and neck, “I gotta hand it to you, big guy, you're a tough one to beat. I’d like to see you up against a Brute.” He laughed. 

“Ha! I don’t know what that is, but if it breathes fire and has wings I’m there!” Bull let loose one of his booming laughs, “Damn, the last time something smaller than me knocked me around like that… well I don't even remember.” It was the highest compliment he could give, if you knew him. 

Shepard’s arm lit up with a glowing orange device and and it disappeared moments later. 

“EDI! Get down to the shuttle bay, you’re coming with me to the ground,” she turned to Garrus, “You up for it? I know I’ve been working you pretty hard, lately.”

He cocked his head (and I couldn’t help but think of a hawk or eagle), “What am I made of tissue paper? I’ll be fine, Cat. I’ve always got your back.” 

“Alright. You four!” we stood at attention, “Get up to the crew deck and stay there. I know you’ve been working hard, and I must admit I was greatly impressed today, but you’ve still got a long ways to go and I don’t want you underfoot of my crew.”

“Commander!” I protested, “We have great tactical training! We can hel—.”

“You have experience with the direction of foot soldiers equipped with swords and bows and shields,” she cut me off in a firm voice, “Ships and guns are a completely different story. Until you’ve gone through ALL of your training, you can be content to watch on the sidelines. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head and glared at her, but it had little effect. She turned to Vega, “I’d bring you but with Cerberus…”

“You need the tech power,” he laughed, “Don’t worry, Commander, I understand. I’m shit with an omni tool.” Shepard looked relieved. 

The last view I got was of the Commander strapping on her armor. 

“I’m sick of this waiting around, boss,” Bull said with a quiet restlessness. 

“You got that right, Bull. This is utter shit, this is,” Sera grumbled. 

“They are right, you know,” Cassandra quieted them in her motherly way, “We know nothing of this method of combat. It is better to wait until we are ready. To be patient.”

I said nothing. I was seething with resentment. We were not children. We could learn faster than most soldiers, I was sure. But Shepard was adamant in keeping us from the field and barring me from furthering my own research. If something didn’t happen soon…. 

I’d just have to take the matter into my own hands.


	16. The Citadel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is Really Long and I'm so sorry it took so long. Please send feed back, it Keeps me Going.

I knew this wasn’t just the wild suspicions of an over-analytical Salarian when the transit operator didn’t answer Joker’s hails. The team sprinted to the the shuttle bay and I ordered Cortez and a few Marines to take us to the ground in an armed Kodiak. 

During the ride, EDI had hacked into the security feeds on the Citadel (with alarming ease, even for an AI). “Shepard, I feel it is necessary to inform you that Cerberus troops have arrived on the citadel in force,” she said as she scanned the feeds on her omni tool, “And it would seem it is organized.”

“Udina,” I growled, “I always knew he was dirty, but this… this is a whole other level. To be in league with Cerberus,” a shudder ran up my spine, “the Illusive Man had to have sweetened the pot.”

“Knowing Udina, that can’t be far from the truth,”Garrus agreed.   
EDI opened her mouth as though she was about to speak but closed it as she changed her mind — a surprisingly human gesture. I asked, “What is it EDI?”

“Councillor Udina could have partnered with Cerberus under the same pretext as you,” she said. 

“What do you mean?” I furrowed my brow, “EDI, we never mounted an attack on the Citadel…”

“This is true. However, my intent was to convey the fact that perhaps Udina sees this as a necessary evil to save lives, just as you did.”

“No,” I said firmly. Udina was a selfish bastard. The only reason he’d be doing this would be for his own power.

Garrus nodded, “EDI, you haven’t dealt with the bastard like we have. Trust us when we say that he’s not a “let’s save the galaxy” kind of guy.” After that EDI fell silent. 

I could clearly remember how Udina had stabbed me in the back with the Council during Saren’s tribunal. If only Anderson were councillor… 

Cortez’s voice rang through the comms in my helmet, “Approaching the LZ, Commander. Looks like I can’t stay long, once we get there.”

“Understood, Lieutenant. Stay safe. Pick up any civilians you can and eval them to the Normandy until the situation is handled. At the very least, defend them.”

“Aye aye, ma’am,” he responded. 

The hatch opened on the side of the shuttle and the Marines laid down cover fire while the team exited the shuttle and got to Cover. 

“Go, Cortez!” I ordered. The three of us were ducked behind a few planters and piles of fallen debris. Ahead, a few troopers made their way toward us haphazardly, acting as pawns for the Centurions, snipers, and phantoms that took up position behind us. My NavPoint showed at least a dozen soldiers in the are and more approaching, including an Atlas Mech. 

“EDI can you get into their comms?” Garrus asked. 

“Unfortunately, that would mean that they could hear us as well.”

“There’s no way around it?” 

“No,” she shook her head. 

I took another glance at the field and planned out our actions. The first thing that had to go would be the shield generators and pylons. I motioned for EDI to take care of those while Garrus hung back with his sniper rifle and pick off as many as he could. In the mean time, I needed to punch a hole in their front lines. 

I pooled my energy into my barriers and stepped out of cover. Immediately, I drew fire. I charged the soldiers and threw them back on impact of the biotic field around me and then used some of the energy from my barrier to detonate a blast that took out four of the soldiers. 

“Move up, EDI! Take out those Centurions! Garrus, you’re on those snipers!” I called to my team as I sprinted ahead, taking a few shots with the Mattock at the phantom coming my way. I had to say, I fucking hated these little fuckers. They were specialized for close combat and used god damn katanas and biotics. Needless to say, I’ve had a few unfortunate run-ins with them. 

The phantom threw up a stasis barrier around itself when I fired, taking away my advantage of distance. I used the opportunity to shore up my own barriers and switch to my shotgun. All at once, the phantom charged me and I met her blade with my omni blade, and the orange cuff flickered under the strain. I saw her feet move to sweep me and I leapt to avoid them. In midair, I thrust out my legs at her chest and used a bit of a biotic charge to throw her backward. I landed on the ground too, but kipped to my feet and fired a shot at the prone phantom before me. Then another and another until she lie motionless on the white tile floor. She did not bleed. 

I charged to cover ahead to recover and saw that the men remaining from the original dozen were gone, replaced with the new forces. I took the Black Widow from my back and took out a few of the assault troopers with precise head shots. Then, I stood and moved forward with my Mattock, going after the generators. 

In my comms array, I heard Garrus’s voice, “Shepard! Get down! Mech incoming!”

Sure as shit, a massive Atlas dropped from a ship somewhere above me. I rolled to cover behind a crate just as it started shooting. 

“Do we have phantoms?”

“Yeah! One fifty yards ahead of your current position!” 

“Take care of stragglers, Garrus. EDI and I will take care of the mech.” 

I couldn’t see it, but I knew his mandibles flared in a smile as he said, “Your command is my wish, Cat.”

“Funny,” I replied drily firing at closing troopers, “EDI hit that thing with an overload and take down its shields.”  
“Yes, Commander.” I turned my attention to the mech and fired shot after shot into the blue haze of shields surrounding it, occasionally arcs of electricity burst against it from EDI’s overloads. 

When the shields finally dropped, I saw my window. If I charged in close enough to the mech, I could draw people in and detonate a nova without the Atlas being able to target me. Besides, its was slow enough that I could avoid attacks. But if the pilot were take out….

I made my decision, “Focus fire on the cockpit!” I yelled into the mic in my helmet, “Take out that pilot!”

With bullets raining down from SMGs, assault rifles, and a sniper rifle, the glass broke quickly and soon after the Atlas stood still. Now I could charge in and take control. 

I used my biotics to flash across the field and detonate a blast that knocked down others in the area. I opened the hatch and pulled out the pilot’s corpse, taking his spot in the chair. 

The Atlas rose to life behind enemy lines. I saw that EDI had fallen back, only 20 feet before Garrus. Close enough, I thought, as I fired a rocket into the center of the hoard, killing the remaining soldiers.

However much I would have liked to simply use this the whole way, the hall ahead was far to small to squeeze through. I reluctantly exited and continued on to a the main doors ahead, which lead to C-Sec headquarters. I stopped at the top of the stairs when I saw Commander Bailey leaned against a wall clutching his side, blood seeping through his fingers. 

“Shit, Bailey, you goddamn idiot…,” I breathed and trailed off. 

“Good to see you, too, Shepard,” he looked me up and down, “What brings you to my little slice of heaven?”

“Oh I don’t know I hear the Presidium is pretty nice this time of year,” I said as I bent to give him some Medi-gel, but he kept trying to get up. 

“Damnit, Shepard,” he said through his grit teeth, “What do you think I’m made of, tissue paper? Save the mede-gel for the real injuries.”

I sighed, “Bailey, respectfully, sit your ass down.” He plopped back down and sat just long enough to let me put the patch on the wound. It wasn’t serious, just a graze on the side of his upper abdomen. 

“When did this all start?” Garrus asked in worry. He was once a C-Sec officer himself and still had friends stationed here. 

“Few hours ago,” Bailey said gruffly, “They came out of no where, Shepard. We didn’t even pick them up on our scanners.”

“Survivors?” Garrus’s voice was solid to any other human ear, but I knew him well enough to hear the worry in his subharmonics. 

Bailey frowned, “The way that I took, all I saw were bodies. They hit us first and hardest, and there forces spread from here.” Garrus nodded tightly and helped Bailey to his feet. 

“Bailey, we got a warning about this from the salarian councillor. We need to find her.”

“Alright, I can try to express you through HQ by sealing branching hallways and—“

“You can’t!”Garrus said, “There are men in those halls! You’ll trap them inside with Cerberus!” 

“Garrus, we need to get to the Councillor. She’s probably in the embassy offices or somewhere in that area.”

“There are PEOPLE in there! Would you really condemn them?”

I heard those words before… but… “Bailey, how many Cerberus troops do you think are still in the building?”

“50, at least,” he said, “Shepard, they’ll know you’re coming. they probably already know you're here. If I don’t seal the doors, it’ll add another 20 to 40 minutes to the trip. Time that could be dedicated to get Cerberus out.”

I looked at Garrus sadly, “Garrus, we have to…”

He closed his eyes and shot his head, “Yeah, yeah you’re right. I— guess theres that Cold Calculus again.” Bailey opened a comm line so we could talk to him from the sealed security office. Before we left he stopped us, and opened a line to Thane, who was in the hospital when the coup started. 

“Thane? Where are you?”I said into my mouthpiece. 

His breathing was heavy and I could hear gunshots in the background, “Shepard, had to fight my way out of the hospital. Cerberus forces are here in droves, where are you?”

“C-Sec HQ headed to the the Embassy Offices. We need to get to the Salarian councillor,” I paused, “Where’s Kaidan?”

“He’s fine. Left quickly to get to the other councilors and get them off the Citadel.”

“Shit,” I bit out, “Udina’s dirty, Thane. We’ve gotta get to them. Come find us as soon as you can. Shepard out.”

“Kalahira watch over you,” and the comm line closed. 

We moved on through the hallways in silence, every once in a while stopping to engage a group of Cerberus soldiers. I could sense Garrus’s distress as we walked past the bodies of his former comrades. Every once a while he would whisper a name and I didn’t know if he was mourning or searching. I felt horrible. 

It took us about 45 minutes to get through, and we emerged in an office area overlooking a conference hall below. There were desks and bodies and brown glass strewn about the room and I could only feel pity for the cleanup crews. The next few steps I took were stuttered at the realization of my numbness. These people had families that loved them. Their death ripped a hole in their lives like Ash’s death had… 

Well. 

While I was wallowing, the others were searching. EDI motioned me to the glass window and I looked down to see the councillor come out of a cloak make her way to the door. But before she could make it, someone appeared. He wasn’t your normal, everyday phantom, but he looked more important. As in, Cerberus deigned not to give him the Reaper implants they gave all their other foot soldiers. 

I didn’t even have to think about it. I raised my helmet and shot through the glass, valuing over the sill and cushioning my landing with a shored up barrier. Immediately, I raised my side arm at the man and let my barrier glow a bright, threatening blue. 

“Don’t even think about it,” I growled. But he was fast, before I could react, he had maneuvered behind the councillor. A human shield (so to speak). What a fucking bastard. 

“Easy, Commander, wouldn’t want anything to happen on your watch,” he said with an easy smile behind his visor. 

I took a small, testing step to the side and he mirrored me so that we were back in the same place. So thats how it was. From his posture, I saw more than he probably expected me to. He was completely and utterly balanced and was constantly taking stock of his surroundings, speaking of extensive black-ops training (probably from the Alliance, but he was too well armed and armored to have simply gone rouge). 

“Who are you?” I growled, refusing to lower my pistol.   
“The Illusive Man sends his regards,” he said. Without dropping his sidearm, he drew a katana from his side and turned it in his hand like a dagger. So he’s a showboat, I thought. The Illusive Man must have payed pretty penny for that… well not as much as me but who’s counting? 

I drew my lip back and snarled involuntarily. He smiled cooly and brought the blade back to plunge it into the councillor’s chest. 

The next fifteen seconds happened in slow motion. As he brought his blade down, I lunged and tried to get there. At the last moment, the katana collided with an omni-blade…. but it wasn't mine. It was Thane’s. All I could do was get the councillor out of the way as the two were engaged in a dance to the death. Thane turned aside the blade and hurled a warp at the attacker that knocked him back a step. I noticed Thane breathing heavily even before he slid beneath the sword and fired a few shots at the assassin to whittle at his shields. 

It was the next five seconds, however, that I would never forget for as long as I lived. As Thane rose to his feet, the other one flipped his sword in the air, brought his elbow to Thane’s jaw, and caught the sworn in midair and plunged it into the side of one of my dearest friends. 

A scream tore from my throat and I ran after Thane and the assassin, the others on my heels. I reached the landing zone just as the assassin leapt into a sky-car with a cerberus phantom, the son of a bitch. 

Thane was crumpled against the wall and I crouched next to him to issue some medi-gel. I vaguely heard Garrus contacting Bailey to send over an emergency vehicle. 

“Thane, how bad?” I choked out. 

“I’ll be fine, Shepard. Don't worry about me,” he rasped. His hands were slick with blood and clamped down on the hole in his torso. 

“Like hell,” I said feigning calmness, “You’re pulling thorough this, you son of a—“

“Shepard,” he interjected. 

I tried to play it off, “I guess son of a me is a pretty true statement—“

“Shepard,” he tried again, but I bulldozed over him. 

“Here, let me at the wound.”

“Shepard!” he coughed and I stopped, realizing it was useless, “you need to go after the assassin.” 

“But—“

“I’ll be fine, Shepard. Go.”

I rose to my feet shakily and jumped into the C-Sec sky-car that the others had hailed. Garrus let me into the drivers seat and took off like a rocket after the Nav Point EDI attached to the sky-car. 

All the desperation that filled me before was replaced with rage. I wanted to kill this bastard so bad I was reminded of myself on Akuze. I was blazing past panicked civilians flying out of their wards and was quickly approaching the other vehicle as it tried to blend in.

I saw the door fly open and the assassin leap out and land on the hood of our car. He plunged his sword straight though the kinetic barriers and cracked the windshield. I gasped and my first instinct was to leap out the door and engage in hand to hand combat, but i opted for a more nuanced method. 

I smiled and amped up the kinetic barriers to the threshold so the waves would interact with his barriers and freeze him in place. 

“Shepard….” Garrus muttered, “What the hell are you—“

“Ah….,” I said with an insane look in my eye that I am sure made him uneasy, ”Brace for impact.”

I aimed the trajectory slightly upward toward the bridge, “Shepard, there is a 75% chance that we will not emerge from this impact.”

“I’ve beat worse odds, EDI. Have faith,” I said absent mindedly. 

“Spirits. Spirits. Spirits,” Garrus steadily grew in volume as we got closer to the bridge. 

I’ve never been hit by a bus, but I’d like to think that’s what it felt like. The impact surged through every inch of my body and soul. If it weren't for my armor, I’d be a puddle in my seat. 

And as far as I knew, we were all fine, but shit if i wasn't a little jarred. After the blur of the impact, the cabin began to fill with thick smoke and I brought my breather down to cover my face. The barriers were barely holding the bits of the vehicle together and I pulled back on the controls of the shuttle so I could stabilize out descent. But it was pretty pointless as the rear-left thruster was in flames. 

The shuttle plowed into a little strip of land by the Commons and I prayed that there wasn’t anyone hiding there. The shuttle door had popped open because of the bent frame and I shouldered my way out of the wreckage.   
“Status report,” I demanded from my squad. 

“It would seem that this unit is operating at 95% capacity after impact,” EDI said as she rose from the mess of metal and smoke. 

“Garrus?” My ears clenched for a moment before I drew my weapon, “Garrus? Speak up!”

I saw a clawed hand grabbed the roof of the shuttle and Garrus’s head appeared soon after. He glared at me with a low growl and said, “Never again, Shepard.” The turian rose unsteadily and shook his helmeted head. Thick and thin, indeed.

I sighed in relief and looked around the wreckage again. No assassin. Damn. I had no way of knowing if he survived or not. For all I knew he was going after the council right then. Not on my watch. I drew the shotgun from the lumbar cradle and motioned the others forward. The storefronts were blasted open and charred black. I didn’t hear any voices from the gaping mouths where displays once were, but I knew there wouldn’t be. Whoever was here when the troopers attacked was either gone, hiding, or…

“Shepard, 100 clicks,” Garrus gestured ahead. There was a team of about a dozen troopers, an engineer, and a few snipers. They were guarding one of the council elevators. Exactly where we needed to be. Not only that, but I saw the Assassin going into one of the elevators. 

Garrus drew his sniper rifle and took position behind one of the overly-elaborate planters the damn citadel thought would detract from the whole reaper thing. My biotic flared and surrounded me in a barrier. I was ready to charge forward at the first shot. I heard the near-silent cock of his gun and the even breath. 

BOOM. The shot echoed and the engineer fell to his knees. Good choice. The faster they go down, the less chance there is of a turret appearing. I surged forward at the cluster of troopers and I let loose some of the raw biotic energy into the surrounding field and they fell beck on their asses. A few more well placed shots and the bulk of the forces were gone. I Ducked behind a guard rail and drew the Widow on my back. 

I switched on my comm link and yelled, “Garrus! Lay off the snipper rifle, I’ve got high ground. Lay down some flanking fire. EDI, get to cover and try to get sights on the Council.”

Rapid fire discharged from my right and I came over the edge of the rail. I lined up one of the other snipers in my crosshairs. Breathe in, aim. Breathe out, fire. The pink mist fluttered in the air and looked almost serene before it colored the white tile red. One down. Another knock on the butt of my gun. That made two hundred. And that was just this gun. 

I gunned down three more people before the field was clear. I stood uneasily, switching out the rifle for a shot gun. 

“EDI?” I asked, “Do you have a 20 on the Council?” 

“Yes, Shepard. The council is currently en route to a private shuttle bay.”

“In an elevator?”

“Yes.”

“Can you slow down the Assassin? I’m assuming that they’re on the elevator.”

The comm to Bailey flared up and I heard his grainy voice through my ear piece, “I’ve got you covered Shepard. The Assassin’s elevator is stopping on every floor and there should be another one arriving right about now.”

“Excellent,” Garrus jogged to the opening door and busted out one of the ceiling tiles with a few well-aimed shots. He boosted me and EDI to the roof and we grabbed onto his to hoist him up. 

“Alright, Bailey. Get us going. We have a council to catch.” The elevator lurched to life and I stumbled a bit as my momentum shifted. The blackness was so thick that the only indication we were moving was the reference points of the maintenance lights. For a moment, it was quiet. Dare I say, serene. I took the brief moment to collect myself. I cleared my head and took a few deep breaths. 

Then the other elevator came into view. The thrusters were presented to us from beneath and I raised my gun. 

“EDI! Council or Cerberus?”

“It would seem that this is the Assassin, Shepard.”

“Good. Open fire.” I cocked back on my spike-thrower and pulled the trigger. The weapon kicked back and it ripped through the plating on the thrusters. In a flurry of sparks, the elevator screamed to a stop and we hurtled ahead of them. Once more, it was silent. 

Soon enough, the council elevator came into view and we leapt the gap. As soon as my boots hit the steel, I heard the screams of the Asari councillor. And then there was another voice. A bit gruff and gravelly. But just a hint of Canadian. 

“Get down!” Kaidan yelled. The elevator came to an abrupt stop and we lurched in our boots. The Council was heard shuffling out of the elevator and a few shots punched through the paneling. 

“God damnit!” I kicked through the loose panel and dropped into the elevator. I packed away my shot gun and drew my pistol. Close quarters and all. 

I stepped through the door and saw Udina tapping furiously at a console. 

“Udina! Step away from the display!” I lifted my gun to aim it at the human bastard who, once again, had betrayed his own race. But a familiar face replaced him in my sights. 

“Shep, What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Kaidan, step aside,” I said evenly, “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Really? Because it looks like you’re pointing a weapon at a councillor.”

“I am. And you have to trust me. Please.” I kept the weapon leveled over his shoulder at Udina, but my eyes pleaded. He had to step aside. Please. A small shift and Kaidan had turned his aim to Udina. 

“Councillor. Step away,” he said. I sighed in relief. 

But Udina wasn’t as compliant. The sari councillor grabbed at his wrist, but he pushed her back and drew a firearm on her. 

“This isn’t what was supposed to happen! Humanity was supposed to rise! But you!” his aim moved to me and my barriers flared, “You betrayed us again! You—“ There was that pink mist again. The councillor’s breath left him in a quiet puff. Red spittle bubbled over his lips and he fell forward, collapsing to the floor. everyone stood in shock while I popped the heat sink out of my pistol.


	17. Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn't how Trespasser starts, but I've just heard the plot overview, not the whole thing. It will mostly be tis bits, but I'm thinking that Uriah'll be in the action soon. Sorry I haven't updated inn aw while, IB has been kicking my ass, in all honesty. Enjoy!

I paced back and forth in the Shuttle bay while the rest of my men were bent over a weapons bench studying schematics. Well, Cassandra and Bull were. Sera was just looking for all the best stash spots. 

“Quizzy, you're making me nervous,” she called from somewhere behind what James called a Kodiak. Maker, I was nervous. Not just about getting back to where I was supposed to be, but for the Commander and everyone she was trying to save. Damn. 

Vega shouted from across the room, “Shuttle’s inbound!” A few crew members began clicking away at a few panels as the hangar door opened. The Kodiak breached the bluish film in the opening and clamps fixed on the hull. 

Then the door opened. I stood in silence with the rest of my men while everyone else went about their business. Shepard and her team hopped through the Kodiak’s gaping maw and barreled straight for the elevator. Probably to report in. 

“Inquisitor,” Cassandra put a hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of my stupor, “What is it?”

I stared at the lift doors where moments before Shepard stood. I needed to do something. I couldn’t just sit here anymore. I needed to… 

“Follow me,” I beckoned Cass to follow, “You two, cover for us.”

“What? Boss, what are you gonna—,” with a sharp look, I cut him off and he simply nodded in understanding. He and Sera resumed their activity and only watched us from the corner of their eyes as we disappeared down a service ladder. Just like last time. We crawled through the tight space until we came to another ladder. We must have been climbing for ages before we reached the right level. 

“Uriah, what is going on?” Cass asked in a harsh whisper as I lifted a grate away. 

I looked down and smiled, placing a finger to my lips. I tapped my ear to indicate that there was always someone listening. The ship’s voice, Edie or whatever. I pulled myself up onto the cold metallic floor and found myself in Shepard’s frigid quarters again. This time, there was more clutter and the shutters were closed. I guess she didn’t much enjoy looking into the crushing black expanse. 

I took a seat on the couch and Cass gave me an odd look as I patted the seat next to me. After a moment, she perched herself on the edge of a cushion. We waited for a while before the door slid open and Shepard came in fully armed and armored. Her brown hair was wild from her helm and her eyes matched. That was before she saw me. 

“Commander, you're looking well,” I purred to get her attention. She looked at me and glared. Her fingers twitched as if she was going to reach for her side arm. Lucky for me, she left it down in the hangar. 

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Shepard growled. She obviously wasn’t in the mood. 

“Easy, I come in peace,” I stood so that we would be on even grounds, “Commander, I want to… hasten my team’s training. Weapon’s training, tactics lessons, anything that will get us in the field.”

“No,” she turned away and began unfastening her plate. 

“Commander, you have to trust us. We can help in the field if you’d only let us!” Cassandra joined in. 

Shepard stopped and took a deep breath before turning back to us, “Is this how you ask for people’s trust? Breaking into their,” she gesture to her cabin and bit out, “home? How the hell does anyone trust that?”

“Usually they see me in action, first,” I chuckled. I had to diffuse the situation. I wasn’t going to get anywhere with her on edge. 

She eyed me with a mixture of seething rage and curiosity before she said, “We’re going to be docked on the Citadel for a few days while I sort out this mess. Report to Lieutenant Vega. He’ll take you to an Alliance outpost and have you fitted for armor. From there, you’ll go to a few battle sims. Do well, and perhaps I will think about possibly giving you a chance in the field if it means you will get off my back. Do I make myself clear?”

I smiled sweetly and nodded, “Crystal.” 

 

It had been nearly a month. Cullen had long since returned to Skyhold at the beckoning of the others. It took a while for him to deal with the fact that Uriah most likely would not return. But he just kept telling himself that she was just on a long mission. After all, her longest had been about three months while she was scouting the Exalted Plains. 

Cullen was bent over his desk and struggled by candlelight to scribble out his signature on a few insignificant reports. Most of the missives that crossed his desks were from Rylen or one of the other Inquisition keeps reporting on suspicious activity. The door creaked open and he heard a small voice call his name. 

“Commander?” it was one of Leliana’s little spies. She was dressed in a simple woolen tunic and leggings with the Inquisition sigil fastening a cloak around her neck. Cullen forced a smile, he would never approve of using children. After he had forgone his own childhood… then again he wasn’t an orphan. 

“How can I help you?” he put aside his quill and folded his hands in front of him. 

The young lady stepped in and cleared her throat, “Lady Nightingale and Master Pavus have requested your presence in the prison.” 

Cullen raised an eyebrow, the prison? The Inquisition had not taken on anymore prisoners for weeks. Why would….

Cullen pushed himself away from the giant mahogany desk and stood abruptly, “Thank you, Tell the Nightingale that I will be with her shortly. Dismissed.” The young girl nodded in respect and left again through the door. Cullen waited until she was gone before grabbing a lantern from its hook on the wall and rushing to the prison. It had been a month. 

He took the stairs two at a time down to the upper bailey and practically sprinted past the loud singing at the Herald’s Rest. He could see her. Dorian had been working with Vivienne to devise a way to bring Cullen along, so to speak. Apparently, they had done it. 

“Commander, so glad you could make it,” Leliana said dryly. She had expected him to return immediately with her messenger, apparently. He didn't see the difference, he made it either way. 

He rolled his eyes and looked over at Dorian expectantly, “Do you have what you need?” Dorian had drawn an elaborate symbol on the stone floor in what appeared to be bleached ashes. Several black candles were burning brightly around the room and Cullen felt uneasy at what was to come. 

Dorian quirked his mouth to one side and smiled, “Almost, Commander.” He drew a ceremonial blade forged from bronze and inlaid with numerous runes. He placed the edge along his palm and whispered an incantation. A small pool of blood colored the center of the sigil and began to glow green. Cullen frowned as Dorian handed him the blade. 

“What?” he asked in surprise. Leliana’s eyes widened as well. 

“You wanted to find a way to see her and this is what I came up with,” he reasserted the blade with a twinge of annoyance in his voice, “Hurry along, then.” 

With a huff of protest, Cullen took the blade and wiped away the blood on the edge of his cloak. He removed his gauntlet and hesitantly placed the edge on his palm, slowly drawing it across. Dorian took his hands and leveled them over the center of the sigil as blood dripped from the wound. He whispered a few word of the spell and again, the blood glowed in the colors of the fade. 

Cullen took a step back as Dorian’s voice raised in volume, saying the final words. 

“Et sanguine nostro parte cecidimus velum ut reperio inquirimus,” the sigil began to glow, brighter than it had the first time they did this one month past. Cullen shifted uncomfortably. 

Suddenly, Dorian took hold of Cullen’s shoulder and his vision began to swim. Then, it went black. Cullen began to panic, but soon he began to see shapes and then sounds. Similar to loud popping of explosives, but more staccato than the drawn shockwave of sound that accompanied a grenade. They were in the middle of a battle. 

“Is this the right place?” Cullen asked. 

“Yes,” Dorian said in bewilderment, “I am very sure of it.”

Their armor was the first thing he noticed. It was too… fitted. One blow to the chest and they’d have a crushed ribcage. Then he noticed their weapons: they made sounds like cannons, but the projectile remained unseen. He had never witnessed something so small and yet so powerful. There seemed to be four allied soldiers. One was wearing very light, fitted armor and was toward the rear with a longer cannon. She peered through a telescope and was methodically incapacitating the oncoming forces. Next there were two in bulky armor toting more powerful, short ranged cannons. They hurled grenades into the fray. Cullen squinted at these two and sighed in some odd form of relief when he realized that it was Cassandra and the Iron Bull. 

He scanned again and found her: Uriah. She was crouched behind cover and seemed to have replaced her magic with a cannon of her own. Cullen furrowed his brow in worry when he noticed her armor was much the same as Sera’s. It was royal blue and silverite with a fitted chest and small shoulder guards. 

He began to reach for her when Dorian caught his arm, “No! She’ll collapse in the middle of battle! We have to wait.”

So they did. Cullen watched the woman he loved tear through the enemy lines and with every shot they seemed to dissolve into nothing. The weapons were powerful. Paired with the Inquisitor’s tactical prowess, they were unstoppable. Sera was kept toward the rear to pick off anyone who got too close to the warriors. They were behind cover on either side of an enemy nest where they appeared from orange mist. Uriah herself was positioned on a ledge across from Sera and had since switched to a long cannon to take out the big hitters. 

When the last was extinguished, a voice rang overhead, “Round two is over.” Uriah sprinted across the field toward a glowing blue mass that appeared to be a form of rift. When she ran through it is dissipated and she vaulted over a crate to take cover on the other side. 

The voice returned, “Five, four, three, two, one. Round three.”

The orange masses re-appeared and Uriah sprang into action. This time, she bore what resembled a staff. It was made of steel and the head consisted of a split-blade with an open, circular base. Inside the opening, there were two rings spinning, one within the other, and seemed to be controlled by some blue energy, like lyrium. The staff seemed to act as a telescope and grow in size in her hand.

She spun the staff beautifully and bursts of the blue crashed into the opponents, again dissolving them into nothing. 

“That’s… odd,” Dorian muttered. 

“What?” Cullen tried to see what he was.

“Last time I did this, she told me she couldn’t use magic because she could not draw from the Fade.”

Cullen shrugged, “Well, she obviously doesn’t have that problem anymore.”

In a few more minutes, the battle was finished and Uriah removed her headdress. She exchanged a few congratulations with the rest of her team and Dorian surged forward with Cullen in tow. It was like moving through syrup. 

He clasped down on Uriah’s hand and she jolted before slipping to the floor. The rest of the space disappeared and was replaced with black. 

Cullen gasped. To see that she was safe was… beyond relieving. She gasped like she just broke the surface of a lake and looked at them. With labored breath she surged forward and nearly tackled Culled with a hug. 

“Uriah,” he breathed. She took a step back and smiled deeply. But then, her face twisted in confusion. 

“What’s happened? Why have you visited so early? Is something wrong?” she said.

Dorian’s brow twisted, “What? No. You said to meet you again in one month!” Dorian’s brow was furrowed in thought as he attempted to reason his way through Uriah’s confusion. 

“Dorian, its only been a couple weeks!” she gasped and turned to stand next to Cullen. She was drenched in sweat from the battle and was still short of breath. 

“How curious. It seems that time passes slower here than in Thedas. Speaking of which…. where is here?” Dorian rubbed his chin. 

“That’s a difficult question, you see,” she ran a gauntleted hand across her brow, “They call this… galaxy… the Milky Way. But I must be broad in my range because I have been traveling among the stars from planet to planet.”

Cullen gaped at her, “You mean to say that this society is so advanced that they have developed the ability to leave Thedas? The Earth even?”

Uriah smiled at him with her wide, toothy smile that only came to her when she felt as giddy as a child with a new toy, “Yes! Isn’t it fascinating, Cullen?” 

Fascinating, yes. But Cullen was wary. He knew that she could handle herself, but this was quite literally a whole new world. She must have seen the concern in his face. Uriah frowned and looked back to Dorian, who had a similar expression. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, “Has something happened?”

“Uriah,” Cullen said, “There’s been unrest. Your disappearance has invited numerous politicians to attack the Inquisition’s presence in their nations.”

“Orlais?” she sighed, “I knew Celene would back out as soon as her ass was out of the fire.”

Dorian shook his head, “Not just Orlais, Ferelden is calling for the disbanding of the Inquisition. And what’s more,” His eyes flicked to the Commander’s and Cullen pursed his lips. 

“Would you stop that?” she she bristled and looked between them, “What is going on?”

“We found spies in our ranks. Rylen discovered one of his men sending a report by crow in the dead of night,” Cullen began, “The man was elven, claimed to be Dalish, but had no vallaslin to be seen.”

“You don’t think he was a city elf?” 

He shook his head, “Cole did… not seem to think so. He acted stranger than usual. He said things like ‘This is not the way. Is Arlathan worth that risk, lethallin?’. It was very strange, but we have found more and more of them.”

“What did the letter say?”

“It is in elven,” Dorian sighed, “We do not know.”

“Haven’t you approached one of the elves?” she said in disbelief. There were dozens of the People in Skyhold who could translate it for them. They had done it before, after Solas had left. 

“They have… withdrawn. Returned to their clans, become recluse. Josephine has reached out to her contacts but the messages were all returned with nothing but a wolf in the corner of the paper.”

“A wolf?” something sparked in Uriah’s mind. Wolf, wolf, wolf. Where had she seen that in elven lore…. “How many eyes? What color?”

“More than two, red, I think…”  
“Fen’ harel,” she breathed, “The dread wolf. The clans that Josephine contacted, do we have any loyal connections? What about the clan I encountered in the Plains?”

“They returned nothing,” Cullen said, “Not yet anyway. It could be that there is someone keeping the Inquisition away.” 

“Send Harding. She can keep a low profile and she can get a message to Loranil.”

“Scout Harding is… occupied at the moment. She’s got ears to the ground in Denim about the plans to disband us,” Cullen sighed. When would it end?

“Cole?” she asked, “If he saw a need to help…” 

Dorian nodded, “I see where you’re going, Inquisitor, but keep in mind that Cole has been very shaken since your disappearance.”

“Tell him that he needn't worry, then. I am well,” she flickered, “I— Shit!” her palm flashed to life and she doubled over. 

“What’s going on?” 

“It’s puling me back through,” she yelled, “Dorian! Get out of here!” She reached up and brushed Cullen’s cheek with a gauntleted hand and kissed him. She tasted of sweat and smoke. her lips were supple, but ragged as if she had been nibbling at the edges in worry. “I love you, come back in one month.”

“I love you, too. Please be safe, I know how much trouble you can get in.”

She grimaced, “Who me? I’ll be fine, Cullen. Go, I’ll be home soon.” The rune was cast on the ground and Dorian had already bound himself to it. As Cullen made another small nock in his thumb, he watched Uriah flicker and fade in bursts of light. Then he was on the ground. Blinking at the ceiling. 

Leliana knelt next to him, “Commander? Cullen? Did you find her?” 

Cullen nodded and looked at Dorian. He found her. She was alright. She was alive. His thoughts were cluttered with everything he had just heard. He closed his eyes and one thought flashed through the whirl of information. 

“Call a council, Leliana. We have work to do.”


	18. Preserve Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I diverge a little from the trespasser canon in this chapter. As I said in the comments, I'm trying to update every weekend, but I am loaded down with IB bs. Forgive me? 
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with this mother of a fic.

I had been all over the Citadel after the attack trying to patch together as much aid for the civilian militia as I could. But… it was not good. A great deal of the people in the refugee camps were in no place to fight to begin with and… I took a shaky breath as she leaned over the cluttered desk. The refugee camps had less than half of their original population. I could still see the white, sunken faces. More faces to see every night in my dream. 

Not willing to do anymore at the moment, I shoved my self backward and decided to head down to the Shuttle Bay and work on my armor. I had gotten a few new pieces after the attack to replace the damaged Serrice Council plate. I went for a set of Armax Arsenal. It was sleek and stabilized to improve damage. 

The elevator opened up and I crossed to my locker to pull out the sealed package stowed away. The deconstructed armor fit into a long, flat compressed package. This meant that I’d have to construct it myself. No big deal, I’d done it before, I’d do it again. 

I plopped the container down on one of the cleared weapons benches and popped the latch. The Armax plate was lightweight and strong. It was still sturdy enough to face a Brute or an Atlas if it came down to it. 

I had gotten the pieces through the SPECTRE market, so it was already tailored to me. All I had to do was assemble and paint. Fix this nock into that groove, solder the wires, fix the connections to inlays, attach the plate overtop, and repeat. It only took me about an hour to get everything straight and to get the ablative shields up and running beneath the ceramic. Now to paint. 

I normally kept my armor the clean cut gun metal grey and N7-red, but Allers had recommended that I customize my armor a little more , so that I was more distinct to the media. I hated it. It would make me stick out like a sore thumb. But I did it anyway. I decided to stick with a black metallic base. I took out the airbrush and attached the canister of paint. Wearing a fume mask, I sprayed a layer of the quick-dry paint and let it rest while I took out the second canister of blood red paint for the lowlights. Placing the stencil in the dry surface, I sprayed in the spaces and was happy with the final result. After a few more details on the arms and chest I set the pieces back in my locker. 

As I disposed of the empty canisters, the siren sounded the return of one of the away shuttles. Vega had taken the newcomers to the combat sims for the day. Odd. They were back fairly soon…

It was when I saw Doctor Chakwas sprint across the bay floor that I knew something was wrong. 

“What’s going on?” I yelled to no one in particular. 

“Shepard, Trevelyan’s down. After battle she collapsed and came back screaming … and with a green hand,” Joker called over the coms. 

“What?” I stood next to the doctor as the wing door opened. The Bull was cradling Trevelyan in his arms. She was gritting her teeth and shouted in pain. But what floored me was the fact that her hand was throwing green sparks like it shorted a circuit. 

Doc walked in stride with the hulking man as she procured a sedative and plunged it into the Inquisitor’s thigh. The shrieks of pain dwindled as we boarded the elevator. And Chakwas set to her series of questions. 

“What the hell happened?” Believe it or not, she asked everyone that. 

“It is the mark,” the Seeker said with a note of obvious worry, “It has flared up.” 

“Why?”

“She has only given fragments through the pulses, but we think that our companions are visiting her through the fade. But this pulling her through to that side, it is like opening another breach. The mark has passed through the veil twice in a short time. And then it was cut off once more. It is like being magically branded with hot lead and then blanched in cold water. She was adjusted to this world. She’ll go into shock. Maker. Andraste.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder as the door opened, “Slow down. It will be okay, Seeker Pentghast. She’ll be fine.”

“Commander, it has never been this bad before,” she shrugged my hand off and strode after her companions. I followed closely behind. 

“Set her on that table, get the armor off,” Chakwas barked in short fragments. 

I helped Sera strip her gauntlets and chest plate. I stopped when I saw her hand. Her palm was glowing and the way it crept up her arm… it looked like blood poisoning. The skin was red and blistered. In some places, it was oozing blood. I turned to the dispenser on the wall behind me and withdrew a packet of burn gel. I opened the package and began to dab the cooling gel on the skin and it began to steam. 

“Doctor Chakwas we have a problem,” I said in worry, this had never happened before. 

“I know. Internal Temperature 103 degrees. If she gets any higher she’ll denature and we’ll lose her. We need burn gel,” she hadn’t looked up from her work.  
“We’re gonna need more than that. Look,” I said sharply. She glanced at Uriah’s arm and grimaced. 

“It’s working overtime, Shepard. Let’s give it a little help,” she grabbed a pack of her own and began dabbing it on the arm alongside me. 

“EDI! Tell whoever is sitting on their ass to get me as much ice as there is on this ship!” Chakwas shouted. 

“Right away,” EDI responded cooly. 

“Keep going, Commander,” she said. She rushed over to the other side of the clinic and turned the faucet on the stainless steel icing tub. The other three lingered behind her and Doc was obviously seething at the extra clutter. I set turned my head toward them. 

“Maybe you should wait on the other side of the windows,” I said gently, “She’ll be okay, just let the doctor do her job.” 

Sera huffed but eventually followed the other two out into the galley. Before the door closed behind them, Kaidan came into the med bay with a tub full of ice from the kitchen. 

“Right here, Major,” Chakwas pointed to the tub and Kaidan dumped the load into the frigid water. The faucet was turned off and Chakwas gestured for Kaidan and me to lower her in. 

“Her legs,” I said to Kaidan and we quickly stripped away her greaves. 

With one of us on either side, “One, two, three,” we lifted her into the water and she began to shiver, still unconscious. Chakwas took her temperature. 

“102 and falling,” She drew Trevelyan’s left arm out of the water and draped it on the ledge. she began applying a fresh paste of burn gel, as the last had steamed away. The light had already begun to dim, but there was still a dull glow from the veins on her arm. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this, Shepard,” Chakwas said as she turned over Uriah’s palm. There was a peculiar scar running across the palm of her hand. Like it had been split in two and stitched back together. I opened my omni-tool and ran a quick scan of the hand. It took longer than your usual energy scan. Shit, this was not good. 

“Unidentified?” Kaidan had been looking over my shoulder, curious himself, “What are we supposed to do if we don't know what we’re dealing with?”

“I don’t—,” Chakwas was cut off by the Seeker bursting through (as much as you could with these doors) the door.  
“You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?” She came to stand at the foot of the tub. 

“And you do? I though you said nothing like this had ever happened before!” I said. 

With an exasperated sigh, “No, I said that it had never been this bad before. Excuse me.” She nudged Kaidan and I out of the way. She lifted one of Uriah’s lids and we saw that her pupils were dilated and her eyes bloodshot and glassy. “She needs Lyrium.”

“What?” Kaidan asked. He did not know, but I had monitored Trevelyan’s research into a few eezo samples and I figured that’s what they meant. 

So I chimed in, “Eezo? What do you plan to do with it?”

“Yes, that is what it’s called here isn’t it…The Anchor was stable before, when she was adjusted to the strength of the Veil here. But something was different this time. Different that from the last time Dorian met her in the fade. Its almost like someone forced her out. Like they are manipulating it from afar,” she pursed her lips, “I need a draught of this Eezo. It would help her.”

“That would kill her!” Kaidan nearly yelled. 

“She is a mage, lyrium runs alongside her veins, her arteries, her very heart. It will not kill her,” the Seeker reasoned. Kaidan huffed in protest and looked to the doctor and I, but Chakwas was intent on applying the burn gel and I agreed with the seeker. 

“EDI, have Vega bring up a container of Element Zero, please,” I said. Kaidan looked at me in shock. 

“Son of a—,” he ran a hand through his hair and turned to pace the floor. 

“Major, relax. You need to sit here with the seeker in case anything happens.” He stopped and turned to me, mumbled a few things to himself, and plopped down next to Chakwas. I nodded and made a move to the CIC. 

“Commander? She gonna be okay?” the Bull followed behind me until I reached the elevator, “Hey! I’m talking to you!”

“She’ll be fine, just wait for her to come to and then you can sit with her,” the doors opened and I stepped in, “For now, just, chill.” The doors closed and I began to ascend through the Normandy. 

The doors opened and Traynor turned to me, “Commander, Admiral Hackett on VidComm.”

“Thank you, Specialist,” I turned on my heel through the scanner and into the old tech labs. I never could pass through without thinking of Mordin. With a pang in my chest, I continued on into the war room and into the comms array. 

Hackett’s holographic form came into view, “Commander, I have news from the Quarians. They’re launching an assault on the Geth fleet as well as Rannoch. They’re requesting help, and if we can get the backing of the quarian fleet…”

“Then we’re sone step closer to winning back Earth, yes sir.”

“Exactly. Commander, I’m curious. How are the newcomers on your ship faring?”

“They’re fine, Admiral. Surprisingly skilled in modern combat. I think they’ll be an asset. But their leader, Trevelyan, she has this mark on her hand . It emits a kind of energy that not even my omni-tool recognizes. It’s all very strange.”

“Hmm. It is a danger to the Normandy?”

“No, sir, not that I have observed thus far.”

“Good. If anything should occur that would jeopardize this mission…. well I’m sure I can trust you to do what is best.”

“Yes, sir.” Cold calculus. 

“Keep me posted. Hackett out,” the display disappeared. 

“Joker, plot a course to meet with the Rayya,” I strode through the War Room, “And tell Garrus and James to get ready.” 

“Will do, Commander,” he responded. I was dead set in my course to the shuttle bay, when I was stopped once more at the pointless scanner that separated the War Room from the CIC. I mean, really. Did they think that one’s identity would change while trapped in tin can in space. Jesus Christ. 

I could only hope that Tali would be there. I didn't know if I could deal with the Quarians and their border unreasonable prejudice against the Geth. I respected their culture greatly, it was beautiful, in fact. But its leadership was… left wanting. 

I boarded the elevator and hit the button for the shuttle bay. Looked like I got to break in my armor sooner than I thought. God preserve me. 

 

 

I remember the cold when I first began to come to. I tasted the Lyrium on my tongue and sighed. The world was blurry and suddenly I was dreadfully aware of the tightness in my chest. It felt like my lungs had shrunk, like no matter how hard I tried, I could never get enough air. My throat felt the same way. 

I tried to reach up and claw, but my left arm would not move and the right was numb. I tried to bend my legs and stand, but they were numb as well. Thats when I started to panic. Figures entered my vision and tried to hold me down when I began to thrash, throwing the freezing water over the floor. Orange light flashed across my face and I heard a muffled voice say something about being normal. Yeah, right. 

Arms curled under my back and lifted me out of the icy bath and onto a bed. Someone leaned over my bed and flashed a light in my face, I flinched at the brightness of it and I heard a staccato voice yelling something. But again it son began to fade. Fade, fade, fade….

Black. 

I thought I must be dead, but then again, if I was dead, would I have been able to think I was? I was so sure that when I died, I would be stand by the Maker’s side. But in this crushing blackness, I was not so certain. 

A blinding pain shot up… well I cant really say my left arm, because I didn't feel like I had a body, but it shot. Like a flaming arrow it shot. 

But who was the archer? A question that had stalked me since the Conclave. Who had done this to me? Why had something like this been created in the first place? 

“Inquisitor,” softly someone called. No, he. I struggled to search for the source. To call back, but my voice was frozen like the blood in my veins. 

“Inquisitor, forgive me. For causing you this pain. It falls on my shoulders that someone so undeserving should carry such a weighty gift that would determine the fate of the world,” he said again. His voice sounded much more like when we would argue in his— my rotunda. Me with my yelling, him with his annoyingly calm demeanor. 

There was a jolt and bright flash. 

“Inquisitor, you must return to your world,” he hesitated, “To Thedas. By any means. Even if it means tearing down the very Veil itself. The power you wield cannot wander beyond your realm for to long,” he said. There was a note of something sour that I had never before tasted. I had the undying feeling that he somehow was trying to bend me to his will. My mind flashed back to one of out first conversations about the Fade in Haven. He had said that he fantasized about a world with no veil, where spirits roamed freely…

He was manipulating me. But he would never do so by saying something false, for that would misrepresent his depth of knowledge. How vain. That meant by returning, I would unleash the dreaded world of which he so often spoke. As a mage I had always been taught to control the connection between this world and the Fade. The prospect of there being a an uncontrollable flood frightened me through and through.

So I had to choose. This world of cold, black stars…. or a world with no Veil. A life without nearly all that I valued or one that meant utter chaos. Death to my own heart and soul, or the death of so many innocent people. 

Another jolt. I saw the figures again. A bright, sterile background and cold metal at my back. With one foot in the Fade and one foot in the Here and Now, a dual voice called to me. 

He called, “Inquisitor.”

And she called, “Uriah.” 

As the world became clear, I breathed heavily. Tears sprang to my eyes. I must once more choose between myself and my duty. Maker preserve me.


	19. Rannoch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the gap in updates, my dudes. Here goes, hopefully the end is in sight.

The admirals were driving me crazy. The constant bickering and conflicts would be the end of this battle and the hopes of the Quarians. One moment, Koris would be yelling in my ear about using the bulk of the gunships to guard the live ships. Then Raan would join his side against Xenn, who just wanted an all-out attack on the geth fleet. 

Obviously, all stupid, but Tali, the only reasonable one, didn't have the authority of the others. They were al so focused on winning back Rannoch that they forgot about the Reapers altogether. 

It happened on the dreadnought when they began firing while we were still on board, in the geth server, and at the Comm relay. They had no boundaries. Like the rat that reaches for the pellet even if it means that they get a shock. Its almost like they cant help themselves. Again, that didn't mean that I hated all Quarians. Just their leaders. Intelligent? Absolutely. Cooperative? Definitely not. 

So as I fought my way toward the Reaper base with Tali and Kaidan, I prayed to God that they wouldn't pull their shit again. 

The Primes posed perhaps the greatest challenge. There were three standing in my way, now, in fact. I was crouched behind a stack of crates as the massive units converged on my location. I peered around the corner of the crate and let a flare of biotics loose of the Prime closest to me. The hardware shuffled a bit but was unaffected. 

“Shepard! They have shields up!” Tali yelled through the comms. 

“Yeah, I got that, thank you!” I frowned. I thought I’d try at least… I activated the disruptor ammunition on my Mattock and Let loose a few rounds into the nearest Prime as I heard an Overload blast rip one apart. Two to go. 

I fired a few more times and, with a blue flash, its shields dropped and I saw my chance. I charged the Prime and detonated my barriers. The geth stumbled and I charged my fist and ran it through the unit’s chest. I rooted around for a moment and yanked on what I thought was a main circuit. 

It fell. One more, but when I saw that Kaidan and Tali had the thing cornered, I started to make my way to the platform ahead. Frickin’ geth man, they were everywhere. 

I reached the outcropping looking over the base. It was huge. for a split second I wasn't sure that the Normandy’s guns could eat through it. Silly me. 

I heard the other two walk up behind me as I lifted the gun from its place on my back. I peered over my shoulder and nodded when I saw that they were okay. I motioned them backward, as they might not want to be too close to the edge for this. 

“EDI, we synched?” I said through the mic. 

“The weapon is linked to the Normandy weapons systems, Shepard. Whenever you're ready.”

“Alrighty, let’s light her up,” I set the rifle against my shoulder and peered down the scope. Well… it wasn’t so much a scope as a display. Anyway I pulled the trigger and the range narrowed. We were so close to getting this reaper the hell off Rannoch…

“Inbound. I recommend putting distance between you and the base, Commander,” EDI warned. But, as usual, I thought I knew better. I stayed where I was as my ship dipped low through the thick Rannoch air and dropped a charge on the base. I immediately regretted my decision. The noise and flash of the blast didn't quite register at first. So I stood, frozen in place until my armor’s heat sensors scolded me. I turned to sprint. My feet could find no purchase as I plummeted to the ground below. 

With a burst of biotic to fortify my barrier I managed to keep my legs from shattering. I rolled on my landing and popped to my feet. 

“Shepard Commander,” Legion’s automated voice, “we have secured transportation.” 

Tali and Kaidan were on their feet behind me. Breaking into a sprint I called, “Move! To the shuttle!” It was a little geth craft that gave me flashbacks to a simpler time. Go for the optics. Stupid flashlights. 

I leapt aboard and got behind a turret mounted in the compartment of the vehicle. We flew upward so fast that, were it not for the magnets in my boots, I would have flown off the deck. I looked around through the sights as we rose in the air, and I faltered when I saw the full scope of the shifting base. 

Kaidan stopped movement behind me as Tali beside him. In a breathless voice I croaked, “Shepard to fleet. This isn't a Reaper base, this is a live Reaper.” 

“Shepard! Get back up here now!”the distinct, worried subvocals rang in my ear.

“Negative, Archangel,” I whispered. Then, more Commander than ever, “EDI, sync the fleet’s targeting systems to the Normandy’s. If I can get close enough we can take this fucker down. Legion!”

Kaidan took my place at the turret and I strode to stand behind it in the cockpit, “Yes, Shepard Commander?” 

“Pull over,” I said resolutely. There could be no room for doubt now. If I allowed myself a moment to think, I’d reconsider. And if I reconsidered, Tali would lose her chance to live a life on her home world. Her father’s death would not be in vain. 

The shuttle banked to one side and hovered. The gun on my back found itself in my hands. My feet wound up on the red Rannoch dirt. Voices hovered in the comms. 

“Shepard! What the hell are you doing! You’re going to get yourself killed!”

“Cat! Get back in the god dammed ship!” 

“Commander!”

“Shep!”

“Cat, please.” 

Their pleas fell on deaf ears. Until one managed to break through. 

“Commander Shepard, the fleet is at your command,” EDI said calmly. I thanked her silently as I switched the comms off in my helmet to everyone but her. 

“Okay, EDI. Let’s do this, huh?” 

Butt to shoulder. Eye to sights. Finger to trigger. 

The Reaper primed and the plates, reminiscent of an insect’s, spread apart. The field narrowed on the red point in the core of the reaper and about a hundred or so focused missiles battered the Reaper down. It paused. 

Deep breath, hold on. A few more times. 

With each round the Reaper moved a few hundred yards closer to me. Barrel rolls were required. 

One last one. It was hovering fifty yards in front of me and the rest seemed to happen in slow motion. The red beam cut toward me and I leapt to the side. 

“Firing,” I sprinted away as the last round of missiles crashed above my head. A deafening peal of electronics overloaded my display. It collapsed in on itself and fell, lifeless to the landscape. I stood and listened to my self breathe. My hand pawed at the rife that fell from my hands. Over. Over. Over. 

“Shep?” A voice (Tali’s I think?) reverberated through the debris spread across the narrow ledge, “Keelah, Shepard! Come on, you can’d die after that! That would just be cruel and unusual.”

I found my voice and freed it from where it was lodged in my throat, “Over here, Tali.” 

“Thank the gods. Are you all right?”

A wave of fatigue hit me like a, well, Reaper, and I stumbled forward so she could see me. But she wasn't looking at me. She was standing on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the wreckage below. 

It glowed to life, the last parts of it, and an eerie voice resonated through my bones. 

“This means nothing. There are more that will rain fiery ruin from the heavens. You will die for all the rest, and what you've done here will be in vain.”

“Heaven, huh?” I rolled my eyes, “As long as I’m breathing, as along as there are sentient beings draw breath in the galaxy, there is hope.” 

“Your arrogance does you little credit. You will be crushed. Our age and power is incomprehensible to you. Long before have we demolished races far more advanced than yours, and long after will we continue to do the same. You are not special. You are a speck in the grand scheme of time and space.” 

“Rot in hell,” I lifted the rifle and pulled the trigger. One final barrage, and it fell silent. I stood away from the ledge and Tali followed me to meet Legion emerging from the ship. 

“Shepard Commander, we must upload the reaper code now before the Quartan fleet destroys our ships.” 

“I— what?” Tali said in shock, “No! The fleet will be destroyed! They’ll never make it!” 

“Legion, stop! You can’t do this!” 

“Shepard Commander, would you condemn the whole of my race? Does this unit not have a soul that you may condemn it?” I thought of Tuchanka. Of Eve. Of Wrex. I couldn’t…

“Upload the code, Legion.”

Tali tugged on my sleeve, “What do you think you’re doing!”

“Hold on, Tali! EDI! Patch me into the fleet, now!”

“Affirmative, Shepard. Online.”

Before I could break out a single word, the Admiralty was yelling at each other in the comms, “Ready arms! All fleets on my command!”

No. “Shepard to fleet! Hold fire or so help me I will fire up the Geth fleets and kick back as they blow youth smithereens. I’ve done enough to get you to your home planet again so you’d help the rest of the galaxy, for once. Hell, we just took down a fucking Reaper. So I implore you, get your heads out of your asses and stand down.”

There was silence on the other end and I could just feel the tears welling in Tali’s eyes. 

“80 percent,” Legion informed me. 

“Admirals, so help me…” 

“90 percent.” 

“Answer me right now! You stand down or you die!” 

“All fleets,” Xenn said weakly over the comms, “Stand down.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and sat heavily on the earth. 

“100 percent. Error upload requires integration of this platform’s software,” Legion updated me. I dismissed it at first, but then his words dawned on me.    
“Legion, no. You can’t,” I said, springing to my feet. 

“Shepard, it has been… an honor,” he said it as though he had never done so before, “Thank you.” 

Tali stepped foreward, “Legion, yes. This unit…,” in no small amount of pain, “does have a soul.”

“I know, Tali. Thank you. Integrating,” it fell lifeless to the soil. I hung my head and Tali turned her head into my soil.

“Shepard,” Kaidan at some point had made his way down from the shuttle, “Come on. Let’s get back to the Normandy.” 

I chuckled. My mother always said, no rest for the wicked.


	20. Dread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the gap! Writers block is very. Very. Real. Thanks for reading!

Someone named Miranda was roaming around the ship, poking around everywhere. she reminded me a little of Vivienne actually, with her controlling nature. But from what I saw of her, Miranda was less focused on nuanced political machinations and more on actual warfare and tactics. Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciated Madame de Fer’s efforts for the Inquisition, but she was never the closest of my friends. 

I had a brief encounter with her after I was finally released from the Med Bay. Cass was helping me to the Starboard observation deck and she was in the galley with Dr. T’soni. The doctor stopped me and called me over for an introduction (I assume it was Miranda’s doing because I barely ever spoke to Liara). 

“Ms. Lawson, I’d like to introduce you to Uriah Trevelyan—.”

“Inquisitor,” Cass and I interjected at the same time. We were a little touchy because it was normal for someone to skip the title because of my magical abilities. 

“My apologies, Inquisitor,” she said awkwardly, “This is Miranda Lawson. Once upon a time she occupied my quarters as the coordinating officer during Shepard’s time with Cerberus.” 

That confused me, “My apologies to you Ms. Lawson, but was Shepard not the… coordinating officer?” 

Miranda chuckled condescendingly, true to my impression of Vivienne, “Trevelyan,” I did not miss the subtle push for power in the dynamic, “the Commander was the operative officer, I coordinated everything behind the scenes.” 

“Ah. Interesting. Forgive my state and brevity, but I must get some rest. What with the whole ‘my hand is trying to kill me thing’,” I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, “I’m sure Dr. T’soni can fill you in on all the details. Pardon me.”

I hobbled across the cold, barren floor with Cass’s arm under my shoulders and that was that. But now it had been a full week and she was still hovering around the CIC sifting through reports and researching places where this ‘Illusive Man’ could be hiding. Strange name that, by the way. Very drama queen. 

In any case, the Normandy was not inbound to complete its mission anytime soon. Shepard sent me her unfortunate condolences over the fact that her Admiral Hackett, in her words, “was forcing the old girl into a make over”. The words were not lost on me, but I found it rather curious that she was upset at the prospect of upgrading her equipment before the final approach. It was my favorite part of being the leader of a small army: the cool trinkets that came along the way. 

I sat in the observation lounge with the specimen sketchbook I kept in my pack, occupying time until we reached this place called the Citadel. I heard fantastic stories and even managed to have Vega help me figure out how to use the terminals and data pads scattered around the ship to help my research. It was a fantastic construction, like a Val Royeaux set in the stars. But, well, more…. massive. 

I had sketched it from the pictures I found. right behind Shepard and Vega and Garrus and Tali and Liara and all of them. I wanted to remember them, for better or for worse. But no matter who I drew in this pack of pieced together papyrus, I always flipped back to the few pictures that brought a smile to my face: Cullen. Maker, I missed him.

I heard the door open and close behind me, but I didn't react. I sat, enthralled with the pictures in front of me, scant tears in my eyes. I rubbed the back of my hand across my face, not wanting to look like a blubbering, lovesick fool. 

“You okay there, Sunshine?” Vega called across the room from the bar. 

“Yeah,” the stuffy nose made it less convincing, “Yeah, I’m good, Vega.”

“You sure? You sound like someone just turned on the faucet,” he joked. He poured himself a purple drink and made his way to the couch. 

I looked up at his and squinted in confusion, “A what?”

“A— you know what, not important,” he looked down at my book, “Who’s this handsome gentleman? Someone we know?”

“You? Probably not,” I laughed, but I was definitely not in the mood for company. 

“Well, then, who is he? The famous Cullen?”

I smiled, eyes never leaving the paper, “Yeah, he is.” I tried to stick to curt answers to give his the signal that I wasn't in the mood to talk. But he didn't pick up on that. 

“You’ll see him again, Inquisitor. I promise,” he took a sip of that weird looking purple draught swirling in his tumbler. He was on the other end of the couch, thank the Maker, and gazing out of the massive window. I wasn’t sure how he could make promises like that so loosely. I didn’t plan to let him get away with breaking it. 

“I’m gonna hold you to that, you know,” I said chidingly. 

“What, you sick of me, sunshine?” he laughed, “All I wanted to do was come down here and watch your face when we pulled into the Citadel.”

I whipped my head toward the window and leapt from the couch when I saw the structure suddenly revealing itself to me. It was massive. It could fit the whole of Skyhold and the surrounding area a thousand times over, if one wished to do so. 

“Maker, it’s huge,” I breathed as James came to stand beside me. I heard him clear his throat, I thought it was to stifle a smile and an innuendo, but when I looked at him he had a small smile on his face and a far-off look in his eye. By the way he was treated by others on the ship, it became increasingly obvious that, to many, he was nothing more than a jar-headed marine (a new phrase I picked up from Garrus). But the more time I spent with him, I realized that he was a far more complex individual. 

“Yeah, the first time I docked here I thought the same thing, but in Spanish of course,” he said, “Come on, grab your stuff. Shepard wants the ship cleared before the engineers get their hands on it. Where are the others?”

“Oh! Bull is somewhere talking with Garrus about weapons or something and Sera is… I don't know where Sera is… Sweet Maker, I don't know where Sera is!

“Hey, woah! Relax! She’s holed up in some dark corner of the Shuttle Bay with a bunch of fun tchotchkes. Pack up your essentials and you can go down to get her.” 

“Tchotchkes? How many, from where?” I asked frantically. I hoped that she hadn’t slipped into her old habits of hoarding stolen goods. I brought Sera to the Frostback basin because she was sneaky, could slip behind lines quite easily, and could pick virtually any lock known to man, but… her discourse in the meantime was rather troublesome. She was idealistic in her line of thought, to a definite fault. It was short-sighted, narrow-minded, and tending toward the process of closing oneself off to the beauty of the universe, preferring closed-up cubicles. 

“Woah, relax. Nothing has been reported missing, as far as I know. She must have brought them with her.”

“Well when we were zapped in we were in the middle of the battle so unless she developed the ability to move quickly and quietly while carrying her hoard on her back, that’s not possible,” I was rambling out of excitement and nervousness in equal measure. 

“Relax. Pack,” he was slowly backing out of the door, palms toward me, “I’ll take care of everything.”

The door closed and I murmured, “I’m sure.” 

 

“Commander, news for you,” the messenger stood just inside the oaken door, beyond which the sky was an inky blank, not unlike the ink running dry from the pot on Cullen’s desk. He was reading reports from Rylen and Leliana’s company stationed where the source of the suspicious activities seemed to be centered: the Emerald Graves. 

Cullen had to admire the placement, however problematic it was to his own movements. The natural landscape meant that there was a buffer for any approaching forces. And, it seemed, that the force was, in bulk, elven, so Cullen assumed that they had a heavy working knowledge of the local infrastructure. With all the wards, giants, and other wonderful little treats hidden in the nooks and crannies of the land, it proved near impossible to advance in any way. 

At least that’s what Rylen said: 

“Commander, we have small contingents enclosed around the place the Inquisitor identified as Elgar’nan’s Bastion. It is not heavily fortified and it seems that it wouldn’t hold against modern siege equipment, but it is heavily warded. A few scouts were sent to look for weak spots in the perimeter and track guard rotations and they never came out. We found their bodies this morning, some frozen solid, some burned to a crisp. Needless to say, the deaths were not of natural causes…” 

Cullen had sighed in frustration, but allowed the captain to continue: “In short, we need mages or templars to dispel the wards before we can even send in scouts. We did manage to track guards and they are sparse, probably because of the layers and layers of magical protection. Every two hours or so, a team of mages comes and checks the wards to reset them. If we are to infiltrate, I recommend a small team, five at most. Two mages, two shield arms, and an archer.” 

With a curt nod, Cullen thanked the Captain and dismissed him. And now here he sat, caught between two gigantic problems: focus on Uriah or the Inquisition? She would want him to focus on the Inquisition, on the greater good. So he threw himself into his work. When he wasn’t training his men, he was doing paperwork, and when he wasn't doing that, he read. He read all there was to know about Arlathan and the elven language. He needed to understand the motives of his new adversaries.

Josie and Leliana tried to get him into the field a few times, but he refused. He buried himself by working himself to the bone. At the moment, he sat in the rotunda, staring at the murals Solas etched into the walls. The first had an unsettling quality with all the red eyes. Then the Inquisition bearing down on the set of wolves. But what chilled him most was the unfinished one: The wolf leaning over the dying dragon. Uriah became known as Dragon-slayer, is she the wolf? But why would that be? If the wrote of elven mythology were to be trusted, then the wolf represents the Dread Wolf. Fer’haral? No, that wasn't quite right… 

Fen’ Harel. The Betrayer… So if Solas mural is a record of the events of the past two years, did the apostate know something that they didn’t? 

Cullen turned on his heel and took the stairs to the library three at time. He didn't even stop when Dorian asked him what in Andraste’s name he was doing in the library. The shelves bearing elven lore leapt out at him and the Commander carried arm loads of them back to his office. The translated versions, of course. 

He called for a box of candles and oil for the lanterns and a pot of coffee for his office. He dismissed his staff, then, and set to work on sitting through all the lore he could find on this Fen’ Harel. The Betrayer. He locked away the gods of the parthenon and condemned the elven to life as slaves and nomads. 

The only feeling that Cullen could have was that this Dread Wolf was a colossal screw up. Seriously, Cullen made some mistakes in his life, pretty gigantic actually, but at least he learned from them… 

This Fen’ Harel just kept. Screwing. Up. And then Cullen thought in his addled-state of something he heard Solas say, once upon time when he was explaining this business to Uriah: 

“Inquisitor, the tales of Fen’ Harel so commonly circulated around the campfires of distant Dalish encampments and immortalized in the ancient tomes standing as sentries in the library are, as I have seen myself, false.” 

And then he made another connection: The distinction between elvhen and elven. At the temple of Mythal, the elf Abelas asked, “Elvhen such as you?” and Solas answered, “Yes, such as me.” No one thought anything of it, until now. But that airy, floating quality to the word— the presence of the h— made all the difference. If Solas presumably was alive during the era of Arlathan, then he most likely knew of these happenings beyond his journeys in the fade. 

If he mentioned him in the non-fiction of his murals, then Fen’ Harel lived. If he could predict his actions, only two possibilities arose in Cullen’s mind: 

One, Solas had close ties with the Dread Wolf and kept continuing contact with the God supposedly in an eternal slumber. 

Or two, the idea that brought an anxious felling to roost in Cullen’s heart, that Solas was Fen’ Harel. And he was prepared to betray the organization he fought alongside. 

Cullen left the candles burning as he sprinted toward the war room.


	21. The Sushi Place

I haven't had the chance to wear a dress since Kasumi gave me that cover story months and months ago. Allison something… But now, the Admiral was forcing me out of the Normandy while it was fit with upgrades. Anderson gave me reign of my apartment. I had my essentials moved in and I realized that the only dress I owned had N7 emblazoned on the front. 

So, before I met Joker at that new sushi place, I sifted through some of Anderson’s closets and drawers before turning up what must have been one of Kahlee Sanders. It wasn’t the worst. It was a little black dress with long sleeves and tight, but tasteful, skirt. And to top it all off, there was embellishment bordering the shoulders and neck. 

I strolled into the front door of the sushi place and was immediately ushered into the VIP area in the back. I received more than a few dirty looks from the other patrons on my way through the line. There was one woman in uniform shouting my name and trying to flag me down, but… since I wasn't on duty… 

I walked past her and over to Joker. My flight lieutenant was sitting by himself with some fruit tropical drink with a big grin on his face. HE saw me and his eyebrows shot to the brim of his cap. 

“Woah! Commander! Hot damn, did Garrus see you in that yet?” he whistled at me and a sharp blush rose to my cheeks. 

“Very funny, Joker,” I mumbled, “Did you get that pink, fruity, feminine drink for me?” He chuckled and feigned offense, “You should know that I prefer scotch, hon.” I waved over the waiter and told him my drink order. “Sir, a tumbler of your finest scotch and a second umbrella for my friend here.”

“Of course, Commander Shepard,” he said. 

“Another umbrella?” he looked at me side long. 

“Hey, I’m the first human spectre, I can get you as many umbrellas as you like,” I leaned back in my seat dramatically and nodded my head. 

Joker rolled his eyes, “Great use of power, boss. Now, why did you call me over here?”

I looked at him with confusion as the waiter returned with my scotch and his umbrella, “What are you talking about?”

“That email you sent me about an hour ago asking me to come here so you could tell me something. I’m here, Shep whats the news?” 

“Well, the news is that you sent me an email telling me you had something important to tell me,” I leaned forward and my hand went to holster strapped to my thigh. 

Joker understood my posture and began scanning the crowd of people for suspicious persons. I barely had my head turned before the woman in uniform careened into my line of vision. My hand did not move from the butt of my pistol. 

“Commander Shepard,” the woman was breathing heavily even though she only ran 25 yards at most, “you’re in danger, there are people trying to kill you!” Joker and I looked at each other across the table and burst out laughing. 

“Yeah, we’re aware of that, miss…,” Joker bit back his peals of laughter. 

“Staff Analyst Maya Brooks, sirs. And I know about the Reapers, you’d have to be living under a rock to not know about them. And I definitely haven’t been… unless you count my desk as a rock… then maybe…” she was rambling and to be honest I probably let her ramble on too long because I let my self zone out. After Joker’s third sarcastic remark, I snapped to at the sound of a crash at the other end of the restaurant. An armored man had forced the host to his knees and pistol-whipped him in the head. 

“Good evening, everyone! Tonight’s entertainment is brought to you by random acts of violence!” he held his hands up as though he was waiting for applause. When none came he sighed, “Tough crowd… Spread out, boys! Find me Shepard!” 

“Ah, fuck,” I muttered and grabbed Joker by the arm, “Get down.”

“Watch the arm, Shepard,” he said angrily. He was wide-eyed and I remembered that the last time he had seen action was the Collector raid on the Normandy. Obviously not an ideal situation. I looked over the table and saw one of the men approaching our position. There was one plan that I could think of that Joker would not like. 

“I need you to go get the others. Go out the back, Joker, I’ll cover you,” I urged him. 

He seemed unhappy about it but conceded, “Alright, commander, be careful.” He left cover and hobbled to the rear exit as the nearest merc began to shout out. I reach up from cover and dragged him down beside be, shoving a biotic fist through his chest. I took his firearm and Joker stared at me incredulously. 

“You used me as bait?” he said. 

“Joker, go!” 

“Fine, but when this is over we’re talking about this bait thing!” he pushed his way through the rear door and I turned my attention to the men in the restaurant. There were ten total, three techs and the rest seemed to be common foot soldiers. I moved from my table to behind the bar in a crouch and took out three of them with quick, suppressed shots. 

“God damnit! Where is Shepard?” one of the men called out. I smirked, it seemed that I was getting under their skin. One woman taking out an entire mercenary squad? Embarrassing. 

Sawing through the rest of them was rather easy, and I made my was to Brooks on the glass floor where she was burning her way through a sizable amount of medi-gel. I put my hand on her shoulder and took away the medical packs she was clutching in her fist, “Brooks, Brooks, settle down okay? You're fine.” I was baffled at how an Alliance-trained analyst did not know that more mede-gel is not always better. 

“Sorry, Commander! I guess I just I got carried away. I ooooooooh this was not a good idea,” she was hyperactive from the stims in the medi-gel. 

I helped her up and urged her toward the rear exit, “Come on, lets get out of here, huh?” but I didn't get far. At the top of the staircase another team of mercs appeared and I pushed Brooks toward cover. I put a barrier between myself and the gunmen to save my self but the fragile glass beneath my feet was left exposed. 

I heard a loud crack, like standing on a frozen lake, and the shooting stopped. The last thing I heard before plunging through the water of the fish tank was a mercenary laughing: “You’ve got to be shitting m—“

And then… nothing.


	22. The Apartment

The Citadel was nice enough, I supposed. I would never truly get used to the idea of a giant city at least a hundred times the size of Val Royeaux floating in space of course, but it was interesting to see. All of the hidden passages and routes were fascinating to explore with my team. 

Im sure they were of the same mindset as I was. I hated being idle when there was so much to do, and there was nothing we could do about it. We meandered about the Presidium and along the strip outside of Shepard’s apartment where she was allowing us to stay. We left our things there and decided to explore. 

Cass and I fit in rather well, what with being human and all. Sera only turned a few heads with her ears, but it was dismissed as some insane reconstructive surgery. Bull, on the other hand, was a sore thumb. Everyone stopped and stared, whispering behind hands and sharing strange looks. One woman who shared a resemblance with Liara even was so bold as to approach us. 

“Excuse me,” she said with a great deal of polite curiosity, “I mean no offense, but what species are you exactly?” 

Bull smiled and quirked up the corner of his mouth in his best flirty manner. He dropped his voice and said, “I’m a Qunari. Very rare and exotic. I’d love to tell you all about my kind,” he smiled suggestively. 

The woman smirked in understanding and said, “I think that can be arranged. Tibernus Towers Apartment 802, 20:00.” She walked away from us with an obvious lilt in her step that made Bull snort. 

“They’re very forward here, aren't they?” he said. 

Sera scoffed at him, “Oh, so you found the one horny blue lady in the crowd, so what? I bet I could get in more pants than you could.” Bull looked sidelong at her and stuck out his hand to accept the challenge. Sera thought for a moment and took it, “Alright, so the deal is, whoever can bag the most and of the most kinds wins, yeah? Winner buys the drinks.” She took of in a fit of inane giggles and Bull shook his head. 

“I suppose I should get to work, then,” he looked to Cass and I and winked, “Have fun you two.”

Cassandra groaned in disgust, “Once I would like to go a trip with out those two. They are piggish, Inquisitor.” 

“Today, I am simply Uriah, Cassandra,” I smiled and she sighed good-naturedly. 

“Yes I suppose we should enjoy the idle for a moment before we are set upon the final battle,” she conceded. I laughed at her and pulled her back toward the apartments. 

“Where are we going, Uriah? We just came from the apartments,” she grumbled. 

“I have an idea of fun, Cass, I think you’ll agree with me,” I stood before the Armax Arena similar to the area Shepard had ushered us to for training. Except this time, it was competitive. CAss smiled. It was like the pits back home. Cass and I had indulged more than once in a fight or two. We called ourselves the Dragon Slayers. For good reason, I had taken down a good deal of the beasts. 

“What do you say, Cass? Shall the Dragon Slayers show these children how it’s done?” Cass smiled deviously and nodded. She pulled me toward the entrance and we were about to cross the threshold of the center when a fully-armored Vega all but bowled us down on his way out. 

“Trevelyan! Go suit up! Shepard’s in trouble!” he sprinted away after him and with small sigh of disappointment I followed on his heels.

“What kind of trouble?” 

“Mercenaries cornered her in a restaurant and she fell through a fishtank. Now she’s running around in the wards trying to fend them off.” 

“A fish what?” Cass interjected. Right, she had never been in Shepard’s cabin. 

“Big Glass Box full of fish, Cass,” I said brusquely. 

“A strange world you live in, Lieutenant,” Cass said drily. James took a sharp turn and we sprinted toward the apartment to suit up. I strapped into the light plate armor and Cass into her heavier set. I grabbed by staff, the sniper rifle, and the Submachine Gun I took a liking to. I waited in the foyer for Cass to emerge with her choice of heavy weaponry and we set off down the elevator, when it opened, Bull and Sera stood in the doorway looking frantic. 

“The Lieuy told us to come back and wait here for you, somethin bout Shepard steppin in a load of mercenaries and all that shite. And here I was lookin’ forward to baggin some bits and now we’ve go to do more fighting,” Sera grumbled and pushed past us. plopping heavily on the couch. 

“What? Where is he?” I said. 

“Took off in some shuttle, Boss. Joker was in the chair,” Bull said calmly. 

“Damn, he’s going alone?” I began taking off my armor. 

“I heard him talking on the comms with Garrus, I bet he’s on the ground with Shepard. Told us to sit tight and that he had it handled. The rest of the team is on their way over now.”

I turned toward the rest of the apartment with a sigh and set myself down on the ottoman, pulling up the comms array on my omni-tool. Vega and Garrus’s voices were on the other end. 

“We’re taking heavy mercenary fire here, James! Where are you?!” Garrus yelled in a strained voice as gun fire popped in the background. 

“Joker and I are En Route, just hold tight! ETA 3 minutes!” 

“These mercenaries a too well armed to be just blue suns, guys, they’re something else completely,” Shepard’s voice piped in. 

“Vega! What happened to us suiting up and coming with you?” I said as calm as possible. 

“What? Oh,” he paused, “Shit, I’m sorry Trev.”

“Eh, it’s fine, its not the first time a pretty boy stood me up after I got all dressed and ready,” I laughed. 

“Very cute, but there are some more pressing matters at hand, kids,” Garrus said chidingly. 

“Sorry, dad,” I said. Comms were quiet for a while after that and I switched them off because they were obviously occupied. I had dis-armored and stowed my weapons away to join the others in the reception area. Sera and Bull were prepping their own weapons and armor just in case and Cass was looking out the massive window at present. 

I moved to stand next to her and she regarded me in a curious way. “Inquisitor, can I ask you something?”

I squinted in concern at her and nodded, “Yes, of course, anything.”

She pursed her lips before saying, “Do you want to go back to Thedas?”

I blinked in shock at the implication and stared hard at her, “Cassandra, speak plainly.”

“It seems that you are seamlessly fitting in to this world and, perhaps I am wrong, there has not been much effort to pursue faster means of return.”

“Of course I want to return home! To the Inquisition, which is in dire straits what with all of our so called allies calling for our disbanding. Back home where all the elves are uniting under a Dread Wolf, presumably that smug son-of-a-bitch Solas, and working to unravel the veil. To Cullen, the love of my life, and all the other sorry bastards worrying themselves to bits trying to get us home. What gave you the impression that I didn’t?!” 

“You are becoming attached to these people, Trevelyan. To the Lieutenant in particular. When the time comes for us to leave, will you be able to do so? To jump through that small window Shepard is working so hard to earn for us and the rest of her world?”

“Cass, don’t do that. You know that the only way for these people to trust us is if we are friendly,” I tried to reason. 

“Oh, is that it?” I hadn’t heard Sera make her way in. A rouge indeed. 

“I beg your pardon?” I looked to her. 

“Friendly? With the Lieuy? Seems to me and just about everyone else that theres something a little more than that in the works there.” 

“Vega? No!”

“Oh, please, Inky, Lieu Vega has it for you,” she made a lewd gesture with her hand that I suppose she meant to mimic an erection. 

“No. He. Does. Not,” I said, heat rising to my face. 

“Oh, look! She’s blushing!” she collapsed in a fit of giggles on the floor and I shook my head. 

“What’s so funny?” Bull gestured to Sera as he entered the room. 

“Uriah and James have grown close,” Cassandra said simply. 

He smirked, “Oh, yeah! You two fucked yet?” I stammered at his bluntness, “Cause you know, I did a bit of that with that foxy Asari.” 

“I thought that wasn’t until 20:00?” Sera sprung up in anger. 

He chuckled, “Different asari.” 

“Not fair!”

“What’s not fair? That the ladies find me much more inviting because I’m simply prettier than you? Life’s not fair, Sera.” 

“Oh, Fuck off, you!” she yelled playfully. 

They continued to bicker like children and I turned to Cassandra privately and said in earnest, “Cass, I am doing all that I can. The most we can do is wait and work to help Shepard however we can.” 

“I know, it is just frustrating,” she sighed. I put my hand on her shoulder in understanding as the door opened and the team from the Normandy pushed in, Vega, Garrus, Joker, and Shepard taking point.

Everyone stood loosely just inside the door and among them was a hulking, scaly beast that reminded me of a dragon… 

Major Alenko cleared his throat and looked pointedly at Shepard, “So, what the fuck was that, exactly?”

Shepard’s eyes rolled and she looked pointedly to another woman who I did not recognize, “You want to take this one, Staff Analyst Brooks?”

Brooks’ eyes widened and she stuttered in response to the direct address, “I- I-,” she cleared her throat, “All I know is that they were hacking into your private accounts. They're after something, but I didn't have the time to do enough digging.” 

“How much time do you need?” Liara said. 

“I’m not certain, it could be a matter of an hour or days. The code isn't that complex, but there wasn’t any template to follow with it. It was a fairly new technique,” Brooks answered the Asari. 

Liara nodded and pulled up a screen on her omni-tool, “I can pull a few strings. Odds are, you just don't have access to it, yet. Come on, I’ll give you a hand.”

“Oh! All right, then,” she followed Liara to a rear room behind what I assumed was the kitchen. 

Shepard put her hand to her hip and removed a small. black pistol with an oddly long barrel. The giant Dragon-man stepped forward roughly and took the weapon in his clawed hands. In and deep, gravelly voice, he asked, “This one of their’s? It packs quite the punch. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Heavy for a pistol.”

“Neither have I. Useful though. Easy to sneak with,” Shepard agreed, “Maybe those two can use the schematic and find something?”

“With a unique design like this, I wouldn't doubt it,” he handed the pistol back to Shepard and she took it back to the rear table where Brooks and Liara were working. 

The giant man looked around the room and grunted, “Nice digs, Shepard,” his eyes then fell on us and he tilted his head, especially at Bull, “I know there isn't much diversity on Tuchanka, but I like to think I know most of the species in this galaxy and what they look like. You two are definitely human, you,” he pointed to Sera, “Are a little scrawny for a human and have the weir ears, but I’m just gonna say you're a human, and you,” he moved toward Bull and sized him up, “Are new. I don't have to look up at many people, big man. What are you, exactly?” 

Bull shifted and crossed his arms over his chest, no doubt seeing the dragon-resemblance in the man’s face, “I’m a qunari. The last of my kind in this universe. The name’s The Iron Bull.”

“Qunari,” he grumbled under his breath, “Huh. Well since you’re new, I’m Wrex.” 

“We know who you are, we were on the Normandy during the Tuchanka mission,” I said. 

“Oh? Well I guess I didn't really pay attention to the other people on the ship that I didn't know or fight with, no offense,” he said. 

“None taken, I suppose you had more important things on your mind,” I conceded. 

“You’re damn right I did,” he nodded, “Excuse me, I’m going to go ruin Shepard’s pretty sculpture up there.”

Shepard turned around from her spot by Garrus in the Balcony and shouted, “No way! No you aren’t.”

“I’d say fight me, but there are already some contenders for that honor right now!” he laughed at her and began to climb the stairs. She shook her head and kissed Garrus on the cheek, something I’d never thought I’d see, and began to climb down to speak with EDI and Tali. 

I caught her eye, but she made no move to speak with me, so I moved toward Vega. 

“Get it, Inky,” Sera giggled quietly. I rolled my eyes at her and continued on toward the kitchen.   
“I’m a little hurt, you know, I was looking forward to a little action,” I said wryly. Vega had been spaced out looking through the picture window and snapped his attention back to me. He smelled like the inside of a boot, if I’m being honest, but I suppose everyone does after being in battle. 

“Action, huh? Well, Sunshine, something tells me that you’ll be seeing it soon enough,” he laughed and pushed away from his spot on the wall. 

“What do you think of them? You’ve been rather quiet,” I asked. 

“They’re cocky sons-of-bitches I’ll tell you that much. Every other thing they said was something about ‘I’ll destroy you’ or some other bull shit. We showed ‘em though, we didn’t stop them, I think, but we showed them.” 

“Hm, I’ve run into a few of those. Most of the forces I fight are petty demons, so they're not really capable of speech, but the real demons, they mess with you.”

“Demons, huh?” he looked skeptical. Like he thought I was crazy. 

“We’ve talked about this before, Vega,” I said in defense. 

“Well, you've told me that you fought demons, never more than that, really.” 

I really didn't want to relive it, but I supposed we were sharing war stories after all, “When the Inquisition was in the peak of its campaign, I rescued an ancient order, the Grey Wardens, from complete ruin. It was a long and bloody battle breaking into their fortress, and in the end of it I got sucked into a rift that I had opened to prevent a fall. The rift took us right into the Den of the Nightmare Demon. a terrifying thing to behold. Its foot soldiers appeared differently to all of us. To me and Blackwall, Giant spiders. To Cass and Varric, Massive vipers. It wasn’t just taunting, it was torture. Psychological torture.”

“Well, shit,” he said quietly. 

I laughed, “That’s what I said.”

Shepard strode past us and called everyone into the rear room to discuss what Liara and Brooks found, after that. Something about a casino and breaking in. Shepard was taking Garrus and Brooks with her on the mission even though the others so wished to join her. I was among them, after all I had infiltrated the Winter palace quite well. But it wasn’t up to me. And once more, we were left to wait.


End file.
